Where’s Atha?

I took this picture yesterday, and I love it. It’s poignant, and moving. There’s Genny, way off in her own little world, all alone, sucking her thumb… it’s sweet and it’s sad and it’s just a neat photo. I love it.

But where’s Atha?

Poor Atha. She had a great report card. She’s mastered almost everything, making great progress in everything else, smart, sweet, loving, creative, with a strong sense of right and wrong. Yet she’s not the baby, and she doesn’t have “special needs” although, everybody has special needs, right? Nobody’s needs are ordinary, or general, we all need what we need. We are all unique, each with unique needs. Sometimes I feel like Atha gets left in the dust just a bit.

Problem is, it’s not like I have a lot of time to spend individually with the kids. I’d love to do that. When Vince is home, we definitely make a point of that. Before he left, he took Genny to a ball, just the two of them. Then, a couple of weeks later, he took Atha camping. And I suppose Girl Scouts is just Atha’s thing. Still, I think it’s important to celebrate each of our children, because each of them is awesome.

Here’s an example. Last night, when I was saying goodnight to her, I asked Atha if she knew how much I love her. She pretended to think for just a minute, and then she said, “I cannot even estimate that number; it’s too big.”

See? Awesome!