Fear Reaches New Heights

As a child I had many fears, but I don't think any of them every held me back the way I see Miss G's fears stop her from enjoying her childhood.

I know I was afraid of the dark and was one of those kids that would run from light switch to light switch - turning on one, before running back to turn off the previous light and them moving on to the next to make it downstairs to the basement to retrieve something for my Mother or Father. By age 6/7 I was riding my bike with no training wheels, had played in my Grandmother's basement by myself, sleeping with the lights off/went to bed by myself, rode a pony, elephant and a camel, ate more types of foods then you could count on both your fingers and toes and had started to learn to swim. I was a Tomboy and proud of it.

I look at Miss G and see how she struggles. At one moment she is afraid of her own shadow and can't be two inches from Mad Dog and the next moment she is trying to be all tough and show attitude about being a big girl, when she hasn't done a single big girl thing since coming back this summer.

• A little girl that once wanted to go horseback riding is afraid too.
  
• A little girl that could go to bed on her own at age 5 is now six and sleeps with the light on.
• A little girl that couldn't ride the escalator, but would ride an elevator won't ride either without a fight.
  
• A little girl that would let her Father dangle her from his arm and flip her upside down and back around again screams in terror if he even attempts to now.
  
• A little girl that would run to make friends with others, is afraid too, because she is afraid she will be moved away again and lose them forever.
  

Her fire has been extinguished. We don't know if we will find a spark to build the flame up again, but if we don't it might be lost forever.