The Neglected and The Fold

Eyes closed, he laid neglected in the chair. She had lost interest in him months and months past. She hardly noted his presence. Did she acknowledge her neglect of him or did she use one of the many excuses that she kept at the ready should she need one?

She was usually quick with her responses when it came to explaining her actions or inaction's where he was concerned.  Oh sure. She assisted him when it was convenient for her. When it wasn't, she moved into a zone where only she was allowed. He was left to fend for himself.  When she spoke to him, the words skewered him where he sat.

I watched her performance and decided it might be time to sit Carrie down and have a little conversation about her treatment of this doll.  I explained the importance of treating all her dolls equally. Neglecting her oldest doll for the newer ones was not acceptable behavior. This might be a good time to teach her a lesson in cherishing the old. I'm thinking of my age and what better lesson to teach her at this time in my life.

"Gather your boy doll into the fold" I said to Carrie. Her serious face looked up into mine and she said "What's a fold?"  I thought her question might have typical of Carrie's style. She is open to learning new words. Her vocabulary is broad for a 5yr. old.

I explained while she sat and gazed skeptically at me. I decided to use this time to leave a message on age . Soon I noted a change in her expression. Her lesson in respecting her elders slowly registered. She stood and walked over to me, arms around my waist she said "But Nana, I'll never forget you. I'll always be with you." and to this I replied with the same thing my grandmother said to me when I was a young girl of 12.

"One day Carrie you will be busy with your friends. You will forget about me for  a while. Your life will be busy with all the fun things you will be doing. I will have to wait awhile until you finish those things and then you will return to the fold. The fold is your circle of family and friends. Watch the time little girl. Don't run out of time before you return to us. If you wait too long some of us won't be around for you to return to."
Carrie is aware at her young age of 5, that people and pets leave  and will never be seen again. When her Gus passed away, she tearfully accepted him being gone and she will sometimes talk about how she misses him.
I suppose it's never to early to learn that life lesson.