Sickness

H. has come down with her first cold since we have come home. I should have known something was up when she turned down the trail mix snack (complete with chocolate chips) that we had this morning. It was a very unusual occurrence. And then my normally perky, animated girl was looking droopier and droopier. When all of this finally connected in my head and J. checked her forehead, she was indeed running a slight fever and when asked admitted that her head hurt. Sigh. I forget how long the path is to a child being comfortable enough to be vulnerable. I'm not sure she would have told us if we hadn't asked.

H. was given some pain reliever and tucked into bed and after a few minutes A. came to get me to say H. was crying in her bed because she didn't feel well. She must have felt horrible since we have only seen tears once before when she got hurt. Tears are a very big deal. I felt so badly for her. I know that it is hard to be away from what is familiar when you feel sick. (Remember the first time you were sick away from home? I was fairly pathetic.) And even though she has been with us for six months, she was at Shepherd's Field a whole lot longer. I'm sure part of the tears were that she was sick in a place where she had never been sick before and what brought her comfort in the past wasn't available. It really was terribly sad.

She is up and feeling a little better and will be joining us for dinner, but having a few crackers instead. She does look a little perkier than she did earlier. It will be a wonderful day when she is secure in her place here and when she knows that this is where she will find comfort.