Goal accomplished



After suffering from a severly jammed finger, Caroline went and did something she hasn't done in over a year...she spent the night at a friend's house.

I'm sure you've seen the blogs of the past and read about how fearless she was before her daddy died.  She had a mental list of people she would go spend the night with, and she went often. She wasn't even in first grade, but she had no qualms about spending the night away from home.  Then, one day, she went to spend the night at a friend's house and her dad had to be taken back to the hospital not to return home again.  This affected her quite a bit.  To the point where she wouldn't go spend the night at anybody's house...relative or not.

Gradually, she did go spend the night at her Nana's house or Grammy and Pa's house but never a friend's house.  But after Easter of this year, I decided to try something new.  I suggested that she set a goal for herself, after all, Easter is a time for new beginnings.  And what a perfect time to try something new.  I suggested to her that before next Easter, she should spend the night at a friend's house at least one time.  So it could be now or the day before Easter 2012, but it had to be once.  So she picked her friend Z and Z's mom and I made arrangements for this weekend. 

Of course we talked about what she feared the most, which was mainly that I'd be gone when she came home the next day (which is totally understandable), but she could call me at any time if she needed to talk.  But she had to understand that I wouldn't come and get her.  So yesterday she was picked up at 6:00 p.m. and returned home this afternoon at 4 p.m.  She had a wonderful time and even asked if she could do it again soon.  Of course Z's mom is only happy to help out.  She's been a great friend for several years now.

Mission accomplished!