Helen and the Bunny

Everyone is affected differently when they hear about my daughter’s vision loss.   Tonight my parents took my daughter and me out to dinner while my husband and son were at Free Running class.  We went to our favorite Sushi and Thai restaurant and had a waitress that’s been serving us since my children were babies.   At one point she offered my daughter a spoon to help her eat her rice and my daughter couldn’t see where the spoon was.   So I decided to say something.

I took the waitress over to the side and did my one minute rundown of what happened two-and-a-half years ago (has it really been that long?)  She was very saddened to hear what had happened.   I did what I always do and put a positive spin on the story, saying my daughter was happy and the vision loss happened at the best time because she was old enough when it happened to have started her life knowing a sighted world but young enough to not know what she’d really lost.

It must have upset our waitress because the next thing I know she had her purse and was down on her knees beside my daughter.   She unclipped a fuzzy plush animal and gave it to my daughter.   She said she’d just come back from a five week stay in Beijing where she visited her mother who had suddenly become ill.   She brought back this bunny and she wanted my daughter to have it.

My daughter hugged it and felt it all over.   We showed her where the ears were and the nose (hidden in the fur) and the four little white paws.   My daughter started playing with it, having it dance.   She asked our waitress what her name was.   How we’ve gone this long without knowing her name, is perhaps a question, but maybe more of a shame since we’ve seen her frequently over many years.

She said her name was Helen and my daughter immediately named the bunny the same, asking Helen if she would be the mommy of the bunny with her.   My daughter hugged Helen, she told Helen she loved her and had the bunny give her kisses.   Helen was smiling a very happy smile along with my daughter’s. 

We got the bill and Helen insisted we not give her any tip for the meal.  Insisted.   Said it was on her this evening.   My daughter is going to sleep with Helen tonight and is planning on taking her on her next trip to Detroit.    We were very touched by Helen’s kindness this evening.   My daughter is sitting on the chair in the living room as I write this with Helen by her side. 

The Big Boy Update:  We have a conference scheduled on Monday with my son’s two teachers, his occupational therapist and play therapist.   Hopefully we can come up with some strategies to help him have less anxiety in the classroom so he can get his work done with more success. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter was telling me about the clay fish she was making in art class this week and how they would bring it home after it was fired and they painted it.   She had an interesting insight about humans and animals.   She said, “humans are better than other animals.”  I asked her why and she elaborated, saying, “they can take care of pets.   And then one day the could cook them in a fire and roast them and then eat them.”