Cathy's Creative Corner: Love Hurts
Anna loved her new job at Wonder World Daycare. However, coming up with projects for toddlers between the ages of two and four was challenging. Everything had to be safe, meaning no small parts; nontoxic, if accidentally ingested; but most of all, not time consuming. She wanted the children to be creative for at least five minutes. If the excitement of the activity stretched out to last 10 to 15 minutes, Anna considered that to be a win!
A new child was recently enrolled in the daycare. Four-year-old Kizzie came to live with her aunt after the unexpected death of her mother. The facility director only told Anna that Kizzie loved to draw. She suggested allowing the child to draw until she adjusted to her new lifestyle and surroundings.
The morning of Kizzie’s first day, she arrived in a beautiful sunflower print outfit. She wore sunflower hairclips shaping her curly brown ringlets of hair into a bun. There were tears in her eyes, but she didn’t cry.
“Good morning, class! As you all can see, we have someone new joining our class. Everyone say, ‘Good morning, Kizzie,’” the teacher prompted her little ones. The children all chimed in to welcome the young girl. As Kizzie wiped away the one tear that managed to roll down her cheek, she smiled.
“Good morning,” she uttered.
Kizzie fell right into place with the other kids. She listened, observed and followed along with what the others were doing. Anna felt the child would adjust relatively quickly. During the period known as “free time,” a child could do whatever she or he liked best. Kizzie asked to draw. Given a pencil, crayons and a tablet, she ran back to her desk to get started. When the period ended, Kizzie continued to draw. Since it was nearing the end of the day and the director had advised it, Anna didn’t disturb her.
With only a few minutes left before class ended, Anna approached Kizzie. “So, young lady, how was your first day?”
“I liked it!” The girl smiled.
“I’m glad to hear that,” the young teacher replied. “Can I see your drawings? I like to know who’s going to be my biggest competition in the class.”
As Anna sat next to her, Kizzie handed over the tablet. The first picture was startling! It seemed to depict a nicely dressed woman with two black eyes. “Can you explain this one to me? I want to make sure I’m not missing anything.”
“This is Mommy. She was going out with friends and she had on too much makeup. Daddy helped her take it off but his hands are so big and strong that he wiped too hard and hurt her eyes.”
“Oh, um, okay. Now I see,” stuttered the teacher. “And this one?” urged Anna as she turned to a drawing of Mommy with her arm in a sling.
“I came home from going to the park with my neighbors and Mommy said Daddy loves her so much, he hugged her too hard and popped her arm.”
Feelings of anger, rage and sadness overcame Anna at the same time! She wanted to stop looking but Kizzie slid the tablet back to herself to finish describing the drawings. One showed the mother with swollen, busted lips and a bruised neck. That was explained as Daddy kissing Mommy too hard and helping her take off a necklace that was too tight. (A necklace that looked like hand prints?) The last drawing showed Mommy in a coat on crutches next to a suitcase at the bottom of a staircase. Explanation: the mother and child were going on a trip until the father accidentally pushed the suitcase into Mommy making her fall and break both legs.
Anna was at a loss for words. She could only imagine the pain Kizzie’s mother endured! She could not comprehend the strength it must have taken Kizzie’s mother to camouflage the awful acts of her husband. The teacher was certain the mother knew that as the years passed, Kizzie would come into her own understanding of the relationship between her parents.
The last drawing included the father. It showed the mother in bed surrounded by officers. Without prompting, the young girl looked up and stated, “Daddy loved my mommy to death.”
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If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please contact:
Family Services of Davidson County
(336)249-0237
National Domestic Violence Hotline
(800)799-7233
or text
START to 88788
