Another Reason That Princess Is Awesome

Charlotte is a very quiet little girl who is profoundly affected by autism and other issues.  She is twelve years old, and she attends 'Bot's social skills group.  She walked into the waiting room about ten minutes before therapy today and sat down two chairs over from Princess.  Her mom and I exchanged greetings, and then I had to step out into the hallway to help with 'Bot, who was crawling on the floor pretending to be a dog (his "go to" schtick when he's feeling nervous).

Anyway, while we were in the hallway, I whispered to Princess, "Why don't you say hello to Charlotte?"  Now, you must understand that severe disability is foreign to Princess.  She wasn't sure how to approach Charlotte, so I introduced them.  Her mom and I tried to prompt them through a conversation, but we were mostly unsuccessful.  Charlotte wasn't really up for it today.  Her mom and I exchanged "Oh well" shrugs and let it go.  Charlotte resumed her quiet sitting, and Princess went back to drawing and coloring.

As the therapy group prepared to get started, Princess approached one of the therapists with a folded up piece of paper.  She asked if she could give it to Charlotte.  She'd drawn a picture of Charlotte, colored it, and wrote the girl's name across the top.  The therapist called Charlotte over and handed her the folded drawing.  She opened it and exclaimed, "OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"  She had the biggest smile on her face, and said "Thank you!"  to Princess with tons of enthusiasm.

I am so proud of the compassionate young lady that Joe and I are raising!