The silent treatment.

Today as I went through the McDonald's drive through, with both Bagel and Weaky. Bagel was saying "Hi!" to the cashier. To her disappointment the cashier didn't see, or hear her, plus with this cold weather, the transaction time with a McD's cashier is usually only a second or two.



As we pull away, we have this conversation...



"Mom, why didn't that lady talk to me?" says Bagel



"Because she didn't see you, Weaky's car seat was in the way" I said in return.



Bagel munches on her hash brown, thinking to herself. Her next comment made me cry, not hard. But more of a sad cry, that I knew would come soon. But not so soon.



Her comment...



"Why doesn't Aunt Frances, talk to me?"



I pulled the truck over.



Turned around to her.



With tears running down my face, I gathered myself, and said. " Bagel, Frances can't talk to you. She is unable to talk, like you and me. But she LOVES to hear you talk. And she LOVES to play with you."



Bagel then replies with "Oh. Say yes Aunt Frances, and no Aunt Frances, and eat" using the sign language that I have taught her to use when talking to Frances.



"Yes of coarse you can use your sign language to talk to Frances too." I said.



"Maybe Frances can't hear me? Is that why?" Bagel asked.



I again am amazed that at over 2 1/2 years old Bagel is having this in depth of a conversation with me. "No Bagel, Frances can hear you. Just fine. She just can not talk, but you can still talk to her, that makes Frances happy."



I wipe the tears from my face, and continue on to my In-laws house. I am sure I will have to re-explain to Bagel why Frances can not talk. I want to teach her about Dystonia, and the journey that we have gone through with Frances. But for now, she just needs to know that it is not because Aunt Frances doesn't love her. But because she is just unable to talk to her. And that she never loves you any less the everyone else.



If your interested in Frances story, as to why she can't talk, read here.