Beneath the Surface

"Of all earthly music, that which reaches farthest into Heaven is the beating of a truly loving heart. "[Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)]

The other day I was given the glorious opportunity of "child-free shopping" to spend some Christmas money Santa left for me. I eagerly entered a Winner's store to start some serious shopping. The anguished cries of a young child greeted customers as the store's doors swung open.

For some reason, I felt compelled to find the source of the cries. I went to the girls' clothing section to find a young woman crouched over her daughter, who rolled back and forth on the floor with her eyes screwed shut and her hands over her ears. Her mother spoke softly the girl: "Chandra, it's okay. We can go. You just need to calm down a bit so Mommy can help you up."

The mother had tears in her eyes as she tried desperately to talk her daughter down from her tantrum. People walked by them-some with smiles, some laughed with empathy, others simply clicked their tongues in annoyance as if the girl's crying interrupted their search for after-Christmas sales. Not one person stopped to ask if things were okay or if the mother needed help; they just judged. I knew better.

What that young woman went through was a familiar scene for me. With Jaimie's Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID), shopping was always a challenge. We never knew when we entered stores with Jaimie if there was anything lurking in the shadows to set off her SID: A flickering light, a new smell, announcements made over the intercom...anything and everything was potential for a fit trigger. We rarely got our shopping finished as Jaimie broke down into an inconsolable fit we couldn't calm her down from causing us to abruptly end our trip. And it could be quite a show for passers-by.