All is Calm

Like Aislyn, Desmond suffers from chronic and severe constipation. I believe they get this from my side of the family. Aislyn and I take Miralax daily.

We think Desmond is backed up, and we’re doing a cleanout. This means he must take six doses of Miralax over two days. He really hates the taste of the Miralax.

He was already having a rough morning when I put the Miralax/ Gatorade cocktail in front of him. Then there was nearly incessant complaining about having to drink it, and sarcasm toward his sister and me.

Then he accidentally knocked over his Build or Boom tower. No one said anything. Then he swiped all of the blocks onto the floor, started crying, and left the room.

It absolutely breaks my heart when he cries, no matter what he’s said or done beforehand. I sat down with him on the living room chair and stroked his hair. “I’m so sorry that you’re sad today. How can I help?”

With no trace of anger or sarcasm in his voice, he said, “I don’t know.”

We just sat there together.

Then Aislyn came in and tried to sit on my lap. “No!” Desmond said. She started to cry. I said, “It’s okay, Desmond. She’s crying because you’re crying.”

“Yes, I know,” he said contemptuously.

“It’s not a bad thing. She’s an empath. She’s sad because you’re sad. She feels your pain. She understands you.”

“It makes me so sad when you guys are sad,” I said.” Now I’m crying, too.

We all sat together, quietly in that chair, and in less than a minute, everyone was okay again.

I went upstairs earlier this morning to check on him. I noticed he had paper snowflakes on his nightstand. They were so beautiful.

I asked him if he had made them. He said yes. I told him they were prettier than any I’d ever made. It’s true. I asked if I could have them.

I think we’re going to put them on Aislyn’s wall.