Abandonment Issues

All in all, Cody seems to be adjusting to preschool. He will often tell me, apropos of nothing, how much he loves his teacher and how kind she is; yesterday he sang a new song they had learned (about the seven continents; I'm glad to now have a mnemonic to help me remember not to forget Antarctica) and he doesn't have meltdowns when we drop him off. And then this.

Tonight, I read him one of his favorite stories, Lost and Found. Basic plot: penguin shows up on boy's doorstep, they become friends, boy decides he should help the penguin find his way home; they row companionably to the South Pole; he leaves the penguin, who for some reason looks despondent; on the way back, he realizes the penguin "hadn't been lost. It had just been lonely." Boy immediately turns and rows back to South Pole to retrieve penguin friend; they hug; they row home together.

We got to this page, and Cody said, "This part reminds me a little bit of preschool."

With a lump in my throat, I asked him what he meant. He replied, "Because the boy just drops the penguin off, and then the penguin watches him row far away from him."

I reminded him that the boy always, always, always goes back to get his best friend. He seemed reassured. And now I will have my good cry.