Into the psyche…

I have a story to share with you all that I think is amazing.

You may not be able to decipher Ronan’s drawings, but it’s pretty gruesome.   He has drawn a mean teacher, a jack-o-lantern, nails on the ground, a spider, tiger, dragon, skunk, ghost, and Austin, Ronan and Mama each stuck in individual traps.  Pretty much everything scary that Ronan knows is on the picture.  After he had finished this drawing, on his own accord, he turned the paper over and said “Mama, now draw me a map of what it is really like there.”  

Wow, you can’t make this stuff up.  Did the kid go through an art therapy program?

I proceeded to draw a map of the school campus that wasn’t nearly as scary.  

The next morning, Ronan woke up early and came downstairs in his pajamas, without saying a word to me.  He grabbed a piece of paper and began copying from my map, his own version of a map.  The new map has buildings, trees, a playground, swings and kids playing.  

He folded the map up, put it in his pocket and brought it with him to the school visit.  When we arrived, he calmly pulled it out to orient himself and then passed it along to me, letting me know he didn’t need it anymore.  He was completely fine.

I have been blown away by this experience with Ronan.  Telling him not to worry, that the school wasn’t scary, did not help.  Reason didn’t cut it.  In fact, it made his worry intensify.  With his drawing, he let me in to the fear he was experiencing.  He went into it, and when he had drawn all parts of the fear, he turned the page.  He was then ready to receive a more realistic representation of what it might actually be like.  The next morning, he made the map his own and brought it initially for security and orientation, until he was secure enough to head out on his own.  

I feel like it was a gift to get to see inside his inner world in this way.  And I’m in awe of the way that he worked out his fear by first going into, and then finding the solution and coping skill that would serve him best.  This child continues to be a wise teacher for me.