For the past couple of days, I have waited to go to the park with Sarah until the evening. She's on some medication that makes her skin more sensitive to the sun so we've gone out after supper. Last night as I was reflecting and watching her play, I had a few thoughts come to mind. Sarah is nine years old. Her style of play would say otherwise though. As I was observing her it seemed like the word "simple" was one to describe her. Sure there are other things that make her uniquely complex but something about seeing her play outside was simple. She went on one slide over and over again with no need or desire to try anything else out. Part of this is because the amount of louder kids on the other equipment keeps her from venturing too far. After 20 or more "slides", we made our way to the swing, her little hand tucked in mine. The large swing, designed for special needs kids was free and she quickly made her way over. This type of swing allows her to relax and fully enjoy the swinging motion without having to think about holding on or balancing. After the swinging, we made our way back to the now empty climbing structure where she began to take my order and made me coffee, fries, and hotdogs.
She's a quiet observer when she's out. Occasionally she will interact with other kids but only if there's one or two and if they appear to be calm and usually they are younger in age than her but closer to her developmentally. Last night I was her playmate and we had a wonderful evening together. These are the things she remembers and I love being with her, playing and watching her discover the world around her.
The swing that makes her feel safe and secure
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