Riley and Chaplain Rhonda

Riley met with Chaplain Rhonda... thought you'd enjoy reading about it: (It's long... I'll blog it later)

Talking with Chaplain Rhonda

 

Riley met with Chaplain Rhonda today to talk about what happened at our home last night.  Rhonda came back to talk with me and was completely impressed with Riley.  She said that several things particularly impressed her.

 

1. Rhonda said that she noticed Riley was eating her granola bars at the same time in the package. Riley explained that she was eating the two pieces of her granola bar at the same time so that she could keep her hands from being sticky and also to keep from having to put it on a napkin and have to recycle more things.
2. There were crumbs left on the chair.  Rhonda said that most children will sit on the crumbs or brush them off onto the floor.  She said “But not this girl!”  She then said that Riley sat on her knees, brushed the crumbs into her hand and then threw them away before sitting down.  Rhonda said something to her about what an amazing thing she was doing.  Riley told her “Well, that’s just what you do!”

I emailed this to Jeremy and my mom the morning after we were burglarized:

 

Riley expressed to Rhonda that she was sad, but then stopped herself and said “No, I’m not sad today.  I’m mad.”  Rhonda said she was able to completely articulate exactly how she was feeling.  She said Riley was an old soul. Such a sweet girl!  Then she said that Riley was able to tell her how stressful it was and how expensive it was to replace her iPad.  Riley’s very worried about her iPad being stolen.  But she was also able to say that she knew the people didn’t have her passcode for it and there wasn’t any way they could use it so it was silly that they took it.  She knew they weren’t having any fun on her device J

 

Riley was also able to tell Rhonda that she was mad for her Dad because he was mad about the computer being taken.  And she knew it was a lot of money – like $1200 – to replace the computer.  And it’s a lot of money to replace an iPad.  And she was mad about that.  Rhonda said that she was able to understand that the way Jeremy felt about the computer being taken and having to pay for it was the same way that she felt about her iPad being taken and having to pay for it.  She understood that it was a lot of money and that it’d be a little bit before they were replaced.

 

She also said that her Grandpa was going to take her to the store to get her a new iPad once Grandma felt better because Grandma just had her teeth pulled out.  Rhonda shared that people come first and things come second.  And she asked Riley to be patient and let Grandpa dictate the schedule as to when they could get the iPad because Grandma is a person and people come first.  He will need to wait until she’s better and she asked Riley to be very patient about it.

 

Riley was also afraid of fighting with Julia over my iPad to play on.  Rhonda asked her to make a plan and think of a way they could share it.  She said since Riley’s older, wise and smart that she thought Riley would be able to make a great plan for how to share what we have.

 

Rhonda ended by asking Riley if she liked to read and Riley said “Oh yes!! I love to read!”  Rhonda pointed to all the books around her and said she could pick one to read in here.  Riley pointed to a book that she’d already read in the room and said that she loved that book, but that this copy was in Spanish and she didn’t know how to read Spanish.  Rhonda asked how well she knew it and Riley said she could probably tell you the whole story without even looking.  So Rhonda challenged her to read the Spanish book because she already knew the English words and said that she felt Riley would probably love to be challenged in figuring out what they’re saying!  Riley loved the idea.  Rhonda told her there was a special white rocking chair in the corner of the room where Riley could be alone with her thoughts while reading the amazing Spanish book.  Then sat in a rocking chair in the Capers room when they returned to it and began reading it happily.