"Anyone Out There?"

IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE MOVIE "CAST AWAY,"  YOU MIGHT REMEMBER A KEY CAST MEMBER BY THE NAME OF WILSON.



DURING AN AFTERNOON OUTING TO OUR LOCAL POOL, MY MIND WAS FLOODED WITH SCENES FROM THE MOVIE "CAST AWAY" AS I WATCHED OUR LITTLE LADY FIND COMPANIONSHIP IN AN ABANDONED SQUISHY BALL. 

OUR GIRL, BLESS HER HEART, WAS BORN WITH A FONDNESS FOR SOCIALIZATION.  AN EARLY EXTROVERT, SHE HAS ALWAYS ENJOYED THE COMPANY OF OTHERS AND THRIVES IN SOCIAL SETTINGS, OFTEN BECOMING THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.  EACH DAY ENDS WITH THE QUESTION, "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TOMORROW?"  AND EACH MORNING BEGINS WITH "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TODAY?"  I HAVE COME TO LOVE AND APPRECIATE THIS PART OF HER PERSONALITY, ESPECIALLY AS I BECOME INCREASINGLY MORE INTROVERTED.  SHE LONGS TO DISCOVER THE WORLD OUTSIDE OUR DOOR, WHILE I AM CONTENT TO STAY WITHIN. 

TODAY AT THE POOL, AS I WATCHED OUR LITTLE LADY TOSS THE SQUISHY BALL BACK AND FORTH, GIGGLING WITH EXCITEMENT AS SHE AND IT SPLASHED ABOUT, MY HEART SIMULTANEOUSLY SWELLED AND ACHED FOR HER.  SINCE OUR ARRIVAL IN CLEVELAND SHE HAS, IN HER OWN SMALL WAY, ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT SHE HAS NO FRIENDS HERE.  (NO REAL FRIENDS THAT IS.  WE ARE, IN FACT, UP ONE IMAGINARY FRIEND.  "CLARA" HAS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE.)  EACH CHILD SHE SEES IS MET WITH A QUIET BUT FRIENDLY, "HELLO.  MY NAME IS CHARLOTTE.  I AM THREE."  AS IF TO SAY, "HERE ARE MY CREDENTIALS.  WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE MY FRIEND?"   

IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE HER LAST PLAY DATE.  AND, WHILE THREE WEEKS IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME TO AN ADULT, TODAY I REALIZED JUST HOW LONG THAT MUST FEEL FOR A THREE-YEAR-OLD.  IN THOSE MOMENTS AT THE POOL, AS I OBSERVED OUR DAUGHTER, I FELT A WAVE OF EMOTIONS FOR HER - LOVE, ADMIRATION, PRIDE, AND A SINCERE DESIRE TO PROTECT HER.  THANK HEAVENS, JUST AS I FOUND MYSELF MISTY-EYED, A LITTLE BOY APPROACHED HER ASKING IF HE COULD PLAY WITH HER AND THE SQUISHY BALL.  AS I WATCHED HER LEAD THE LITTLE BOY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POOL WITH THE BRIGHTEST OF SMILES, I FELT MY OWN SMILE WIDEN.   SHE IS A TROOPER, OUR LITTLE GAL.   SHE IS FULL OF LIFE.  HER HEART IS BIG.  AND, SHE HAS A LOT TO GIVE THIS WORLD.
(WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE FALL, AND THE MANY FRIENDS SHE WILL MAKE.)

YOU MIGHT BE ASKING YOURSELF, "WHERE WAS THE LITTLE MAN DURING ALL OF THIS?"  WHY, HE WAS JUST TO THE RIGHT OF HIS MAMA, PLAYING CONTENTEDLY ALONE WITH A BUCKET AND WATERING CAN.  JUST GIVE THAT LITTLE MAN A GOOD MEAL, HIS "PAPI" AND HIS MAMA AND ALL IS WELL IN HIS WORLD.