My Heart Skipped a Beat
I opened the door to Hannah’s bedroom this morning to see her sitting on the floor with several books lined up beside her. And my heart skipped a beat. An image from four years ago instantly flashed across my mind — the image of Hannah lining up all her books and toys instead of playing with them or looking at them like neurologically-typical children do. I immediately began to fish around for possible causes of her regression. Had our recent trip to Florida been too much for her? We returned on Thursday and on Saturday an aunt had arrived for a stay. Had the combination been too much for her and pushed her back into her old “secure” ways?
All of these thoughts flitted across my brain in just a second or two as I stood in the doorway. Then Hannah looked up at me and, with a little smile, started to explain how this was a library, and how one of the toy dogs sitting beside her had picked out this book and the other dog had picked out that book, pointing to the appropriate books in the line-up on the floor, and how she was “reading” the books to the dogs.
She wasn’t regressing; she was pretending! And more than that, she was pretending after a huge change in her surroundings and schedule! Vacations have always been a challenge, especially the first few days back after her secure routine has been in a continual state of upheaval in a different location. But this year she did better than ever on our trip, and I was so thankful to see those books lined up on the floor this morning!
Just thought you’d like to share in the moment!
