Not exactly a professional opinion.

Last night upon finding out that my nephew was going to spend the night, Schyler immediately began grilling us with the fact that she was sleeping in our room and she was NOT sleeping in her room.



Typically when he spends the night, she picks a different exotic locale in which to stay "letting" him have her bed. Seriously, exotic. One night it was the bathroom closet. No kidding.



Wait.



Could I get in trouble for that?



*nervous shaky voice* Oh ha ha I was just kidding. I only let my child sleep on a perfectly fluffy completely safe bed.



Anyway, lately when he has stayed over she has made a pallet on the floor in her room.






Well, last time he spent the night and she made a pallet was last Tuesday night.







Our tornado struck promptly before daybreak Wednesday morning.






Could she really be thinking about that? I think so.



Then she actually verbalized that she was. She said, "Ooooooh noooooo. Last week he spent the night on the same night and we had to go through that awful tornado. I am sleeping with you."



Okay. Done.



I know. Blue skies. Not even a chance of rain. Completely illogical and irrational.





But let me explain my experience- on Monday, January 5, 2004, Schyler was about two weeks old. She had just gained back up to two pounds on the dot (she had lost down to 1lb. 11oz.) and something just wasn't right that day.





When I left the NICU at 6:00 that evening, because they close for shift changes, she was okay.





When I returned at 8:00, the doctor met me in the waiting room and informed me of all the details of the cardiac arrest she had suffered.





It was a trying time to say the least.





But that week went by pretty well, improving much.





However...





The next Monday, I prepared to leave at 6:00, as usual for shift change, I broke out into a sweat, I began a little nervous shake, and I had a hard time leaving. I talked to the nurse and she assured me everything was fine.





I knew everything was fine. It was completely irrational. But I couldn't help it.





Could that truly be post traumatic stress? I don't know. I am certainly no doctor, not even close, but I think it could be. I honestly do think that that is closer to post traumatic stress than people who go out and commit heinous crimes and then try to get out of trouble by blaming it on that. I think that would be more like spoiled-rotten-brat-syndrome.





Now of course she will not be allowed to sleep in our room forever, maybe not even for another night. We will diligently (I hope!) pray for wisdom and discernment so as not to be manipulated allowing her to fall in a terrible pit of sinfulness. (*fluttering eyelashes* Not that my sweet perfect little baby would ever manipulate her loving parents.*cough cough sputter*)


We will need to be careful not to "plant" ideas - "Are you feeling scared?" "Are you nervous, angry, anxious?" But to listen to what is said and not dismiss it.





SO - I say all that to say, pray for all the children and parents who have suffered far greater loss and trauma. Pray that parents will seek God for wisdom and discernment and that they will think on what is true. Pray that families will reach out to Him for healing. And listen. Listen a lot.