Beach Buddies- Post by Aimee

I settle into my beach chair to watch the couple in front of me as they are head towards the water. They move in a slow tentative way. First the mister goes in about up to his knees then slowly the missus inches towards him, she is more unsure and cautious. After rapidly adjusting to the temperature joy begins to spread across their faces. He begins to move his hands quickly, opening and closing them rhythmically moving his arms as if he is a conductor and the sea is his orchestra. She runs in and out of the surf constantly checking to make sure she can see the familiar stripped umbrella. Every so often he is carried off to the side by the current, she approaches and very gently takes hold of his elbow and brings him back to center. When a rogue wave splashes her in the face he howls with laughter, she smiles and secretly hopes it will happen again. Looking at them I am reminded of those elderly couples you see in the grocery store, the ones that have been married so long no one can remember a time when they weren't. I am not observing some loveable octogenarian couple re-living their youth, I am witness to something much more precious....Sophie and her friend delighting in the ocean. At moments like this they don't seem different from the other children in the water they look like thousands of other people who not only love the sea but who are also calmed by it. 
 I understand now that these kids may not speak or communicate the way you and I do but that they speak to one another in a language all their own.
I have been fortunate enough to behold this connection. Not many weeks ago Sophie and this young man attended a party for their other close friend. It was a big beautiful event. We soon noticed that the boy did not want to walk into the backyard where the festivities were. Sophie and I walked to the front and I told his mom that we would sit with him so that she could go in and say hello. I tried all my tricks to cajole him into the party, I even stooped so low as to bring out Emily (they all love her) to see if she could convince him. Soon after that Sophie got down face to face with him and said do you feel nervous? scared? are you afraid? He nodded his head. She put her hand lightly on his arm and responded come with me, I understand. I feel the same way. We can stay together and we wont be afraid.
 This is the very same child who demanded I make her lunch a few weeks ago, when I softly explained that I had a horrible headache and that Daddy would make her lunch she abruptly smacked me on the head and said she was mad.
Seeing the tender way Sophie is interacting with her friend shows me that she has empathy
My point is she connects. She understands her friends. She is in the wonderful words of Temple Grandin, Different Not Less.