An Amazing Day

I wrote about her earlier in this post. Since that time, not quite three months ago, Gina has made incredible progress. Her behavior is much more self-controlled; her tantrums are nearly nonexistent. She and her teacher have moved into a different classroom, a little further from my office, where there are two other students and their teachers. She's doing great! I confess that I miss having her across the hall.

Today something amazing happened.

I went into the classroom to deliver something to one of the teachers, and Gina got up from her chair and walked over to me. I greeted her and she responded. I admired her new boots (Michael Kors!). She stood right in front of me and lifted up her arms and very clearly said, "hug." I was astounded and very carefully put my arms around her. She held her sweet face up and made eye contact, the first time ever with me, really, and held on tight. I looked at her lovely gray eyes with their luxurious lashes and the dusting of tiny freckles on her nose and said, "You are very beautiful, Gina. Do you know that?"

And then I came back to my office because I was starting to cry.



Comments

LizA. said…
Awww, and now I'm crying too! What a heartwarming update. So often these kids get shuffled thru the system, never really getting the kind of help that truly benefits them....thank you for sharing.
Donna said…
Obviously God placed you where you are "for such a time as this". I'm so glad Gina found someone she could trust with a hug.
Lori said…
Ah, that is really terrific.
Janet O. said…
Love this, Nancy. My heart needed it today!
Barbara Anne said…
Thanks be to God, to good teachers, to caring friends, and to loving parents.

Way to go, Gina!! May she continue to grow into the wonderful person who is inside her.

Teary here, too.

Hugs!317
Helen said…
We have an autistic grandson. He is truly amazing. It totally chokes me up to read your post.

Our Nathan has come so incredibly far. He is now in "regular" kindergarten without his aide, in fact, he has no aides anymore. He has overcome so many behaviors that would make life harder for him.

He will always be autistic...it is who he is, but it does not have to define him, or your sweet Gina.

God has blessed you by putting you in a place where you impact others and in turn are impacted by others.

Hugs
Incredible what others bring to us thruout our lives. We wonder why sometimes and yet the answer becomes clear as it did today for you. I have worked many years with the population of developmentally disable d people in our society-adults and children -it never ceases to amaze me when these moments are taken as they are meant to be. Thanks for sharing your love with others who so need it.