Extreme Reindeer Sympathy Onset

Ian was writhing on the couch, covering his nose with both hands, watching a DVD this evening, and I was actually afraid that maybe he was sick, or having some other big problem. I asked him what was the matter, and he explained:

"I don't like that the other kids don't like Rudolph any more."

He had reached the point in the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" production where "all of the other reindeer... wouldn't let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games," and his empathic Angst drove him to the point of mild tremors.

(March 28, 2009)