The girl
scratch.
scratch.
scratch.
Covering every little spot with pink. There’s noise buzzing beside my head… loud, annoying. I hold my marker tighter. Lean closer, closer, closer. My nose is filled with the sting of ink.
scratch.
scratch.
scratch.
Out of nowhere, a hot weight on my back. The buzzing is Louder than ever…
“itstimetogoweregonnabelateitoldyoutogositonthepottyareyouevenlisteningtomeCOMEON…”
I look up into my Mom’s eyes, wanting to show her my picture. It’s almost done. Looking back I see a stripe of white along the edge. Not right. Not right at all. Needs more pink.
scratch.
scr…
HEY! Where’s my marker?
Her face is right next to mine. Her mad face. Buzzing again. With a pink marker in her hand. MY pink marker. MINE.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Mad. This is my mad face.
The world moves under me… my chair pulled away from the table. Away from my paper. Away from the white spots I haven’t finished. Not right. Not right at all.
I reach for it.
There she is again. “It’s. TIME. to. go.”
I’m catapulted onto my feet, a big, warm hand wrapped around mine.
We’re going somewhere?
Now?
Right now?
Why didn’t anyone tell me?
So here’s us, where life moves too fast and the girl just won’t be rushed.
For those who are new to the blog, our 9-year-old is navigating Down Syndrome, a hint of OCD and, being-her-mother’s-daughter. She’s joy and charm and mischievous giggles. She’s also the reason we’re almost always late.
This is my entry for the
Wordpress Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door
“consider things from a different point of view…
walk a mile in someone [else]’s shoes.”
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/writing-challenge-shoes/
So Here's Us... 
January 30th, 2014 at 6:53 am
[…] Putting Myself in Her Shoes | So Here’s Us… […]
January 30th, 2014 at 7:17 am
It’s almost like you were at my house this morning, only the marker was red and the girl six.
January 30th, 2014 at 11:45 am
Hmmm… parallel lives? It’s a common occurrence at our house. Sometimes the marker is even red. But usually pink. 🙂
January 30th, 2014 at 7:46 am
Oh this is fabulous Christie! Very emotional and touching. Raw! You have a God given gift for sure!
January 30th, 2014 at 11:46 am
Thanks Pam. This exercise was easier than expected to do, harder than expected to read after.
January 30th, 2014 at 8:05 am
[…] Other “Weekly Writing Challenges: Leave Your Shoes at the Door”: Putting Myself in Her Shoes […]
January 30th, 2014 at 8:51 am
Love it!
January 30th, 2014 at 11:46 am
Thanks!
January 30th, 2014 at 10:30 am
That is my wife. But her marker are 5 to 6 different colors.
January 30th, 2014 at 11:48 am
She must be a very focused person. Honestly I’m the same when I’m writing. Or reading. Or watching something good. She comes by it honestly. 😉
January 30th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
Thank you so much Christie… I have been working on seeing things from D’s perspective, this in an encouragement to continue.
February 3rd, 2014 at 12:00 pm
I think that’s the hardest part of having kids that don’t always act/react in expected ways. I’m trying to do better at it.
January 30th, 2014 at 8:32 pm
Lovely and moving. Thank you.
February 3rd, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Thank you!
January 30th, 2014 at 10:13 pm
Its beautiful 🙂
February 3rd, 2014 at 12:01 pm
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. 🙂
January 31st, 2014 at 9:13 am
[…] Putting Myself in Her Shoes | So Here’s Us… […]
February 1st, 2014 at 1:11 am
Amazing that you could put yourself so accurately in her shoes.
February 3rd, 2014 at 12:02 pm
Now if only I can do it when it really counts… like when we’re actually trying to get out the door. This actually has been very helpful to my patience level.
February 2nd, 2014 at 12:59 pm
I saw a mutual friend of ours yesterday who told me about your blog. I have not been able to stop reading. I have laughed and cried like I was there. Your an amazing writer and mother. You still look the same as when we were in junior high/high school lol. I’m praying for you and your family😃
February 3rd, 2014 at 12:04 pm
Becky! SO good to hear from such an old friend (not in age, but in circumstance). We thought of you when we named our daughter (had to make sure that all the people we knew with the name were ones we liked). Thank you for the encouragement!
February 2nd, 2014 at 9:37 pm
[…] Putting Myself in Her Shoes | So Here’s Us… […]
February 15th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
[…] Putting Myself in Her Shoes | So Here’s Us… […]
March 4th, 2014 at 6:00 am
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