Ace and His New Friend

I often wonder where small children's imaginary friends orignate from. There is a whole line of psychologist out there explaining that it is to fill a void, that it's natural, that it will pass. You can find a school of thought for whatever you want to fit this imaginary friend into for your own peace of mind. Obviously at this stage, if Ace has an imaginary friend he isn't telling me about him... that's ok. However, Ace has discovered his dark and mysterious follower. Yes, that's right. Ace has discovered his shadow!

In the mornings before Ace is really awake, but when I want him to start to stir on his own. I open the blinds in our bedroom. When Ace wakes up and flips into crawl and go mode, the first thing he sees against the wall above his head... is his shadow. He at first was perplexed and hit it. Go away, this is my momma, my bed, my space! I think he said. He looked at me funny - and being the morning I didn't quite grasp that he was discussing his shadow with me using that furrowed brow. The next day it became abundantly clear when he decided that if this mysterious follower was going to greet him EVERY morning that he might as well become fast friends with him.

Ace now, every morning smiles at me, rolls over and goes to have a chat with his shadow. We might have to explain to him the wise information about soap and how to be assured that his shadow is always with him. But for now, he's content knowing that his shadowy friend is there to greet him in the morning.