One of the Better Days

I had a resident come to my office door the other day. She stopped, looked at me then looked down at her shoes. I asked if she had new shoes. She didn't reply but turned her foot to reveal a swoosh of pink glitter. I remarked how fancy they were and asked if they made her run fast. She immediately turned and showed me just how fast she could go. She came back and walked into my office and stood at the window facing the main street. Not a word had been uttered from her. I rolled my chair over to the window and asked if she saw something. No reply but my rolling chair was of interest. She non verbally asked to sit on my lap and we rolled back to my desk, I grabbed some paper and markers. I don't allow residents to sit in my lap but since this one wasn't complaining or yelling at me I made the exception. She drew something abstract and I assisted by drawing animals which she immediately colored in with the pink and yellow hi liter pens. We sat in silence for a good ten minutes and after three sheets of drawings, the gentleman that had escorted my new friend came to fetch her. He had been within eye-shot the whole time and asked her if she was ready to go. Her answer, a resounding "NO". Follow-up questions by the gentleman, who apparently thought he was in charge, each received the answer, "no". No to a ride, no to Dunkin' Donuts, no to giving up the pens. I made a deal that I would hold on to the pens for the next time she came to visit. The deal was accepted and she went with her escort. It was the most pleasant experience I've had with a resident coming into town hall in a long time. By the way, she's two years old.