Thursday, February 23, 2012

THE CROSS AND THE RAINBOW

It's here! If almost feels like a birth announcement. I've been working so hard for so many months, and now I'm holding a copy in my hand.  My new book....short stories of encouragement and inspiration. The excerpt I'm sharing is one that makes me smile.
Maybe now, I can get back to "work" writing my blog. I have missed all of you so very much!
The following is an excerpt from "The Cross and The Rainbow" on page 324.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED
When I was in grade school the teacher called my Mom for a conference.  I was too young to be invited to that meeting, but from what I understand it went something like this.
"Mrs. Neff, I don't know how to tell you this, but your daughter is very depressed.  We feel she needs to be 'checked' by someone."
I'm sure my Mother did not leave that meeting turning handsprings.  She probably felt a little depressed herself after that.
During the weeks that followed, my Mother reached out to family members, church family and probably lots of other people I will never know about.
Finally after about a month of that she took me to a doctor.  He asked me so many questions.  Some of them seemed silly, even to me, a six year old child. I remember how his glasses were perched on his nose, and he always nodded his head before he asked me another question.
He asked me questions about my family, and I believe one of the last questions last asked me was, "what's your favorite color?" 
I smiled, finally a question that made sense to me.
"It's purple", I smiled.
He nodded, and then said, "Well then why do you color everything black?"
And my obvious answer; to me was, "because all the other crayons in my box were broken.  That was the only one I had, I never used it."
They should have asked.

4 comments:

Char said...

I love it, people think kids are clueless and do't have reasns for doing things. Love ya, Char

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I can't wait to have my own copy. What a wonderful story. And such an important lesson to us "big" people. Haha. And we think we know everything. Out of the mouth of babes.

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

Thanks Char. I can't believe I remember that incident from all those years ago. The thing that sticks out in my mind was the fact that the reason I used the black crayon was so obvious to me....it was the only one I had!
Love ya,
Katt

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

Joy,
Isn't that the truth! I miss you!