It was a rough night and a tough day. Elliott was unable to fall asleep until well after 2 am. He was very preoccupied with something that kept his brain churning throughout the night.
The most impactful thing he’s stressed out about is the death of my parents dog, Bailey.. That was a couple of months ago now but Elliott’s still heartbroken.
He won’t talk about it and doesn’t like to even admit that he’s as upset as he is. Last night, he spent a lot of time drawing a pictures, which I’m allowed to share and a beautiful slideshow that he’s wanting to remain private.
I didn’t even know he knew how to make a slideshow but it made me tear up because it was very clear how much he’s hurting.
We ended up hanging out downstairs and watching cartoons in order to try and redirect him long enough to fall asleep. It eventually worked and he fell asleep but not until it was really late, or early depending on how you look at it.
I’m grateful that I was able to help him, but at the same time, I didn’t get anywhere near enough sleep and that’s made today pretty rough for me.
I’m praying for a better night tonight cause I need to sleep.
Losing a pet is so hard no matter what age you are. It takes a toll on all of us. It can be especially hard when you have someone who is prone to obsessive tendencies. Have you tried the story of the Rainbow Bridge with him? I’m not sure how much Elliot understands about death or what his beliefs are but this has helped my middle son (he has Asberger’s) when we have lost pets. Just a thought. I hope you both get some rest soon.