“Mama?”

“Yes?”

“My head is talking to me again. What is it I am supposed to do when my head talks too much. I can´t think properly.”

Mama smiled. The smile was warm and understanding. Mama put down her cup of coffee on the kitchen table. The room was warm as the sun shone through the curtains.

“Come here sweetie. Your forehead is all wrinkled up.
Those thoughts that race through your head bothering you again?”

“They just jump around Mama. First one thing then another. First one way then another. Some of it makes sense maybe? And some of it is just silly. Some of it scares me Mama. How do I make it stop?”

“Baby, have you got your traffic light? Can you see it in your mind´s eye sweetie? Ok? Good. Close your eyes luv. That traffic light – it must not be working quite right seeing as the thoughts, they are racing around in your head. Flashing yellow right? Jep, thought so. Now we gotta get you out of the traffic and in to the sidewalk. When you get to the sidewalk then you can just stop and look at all the thoughts racing away this way and that. You will be out of the way and they won´t keep bumping into you. So lets have you turn the light to red – say STOP.”

Eyes shut tight. “STOP!!!” Wrinkled brow. “STOP!!!! Oh. Ok. The light is red.”

“The thoughts stopping now?”

“No. Wait! Now they are. Slowly. Jep mama, my head isn´t talking so loud now.”

“Are you on the sidewalk by the traffic light? Ok. Good.”

“The thoughts are jumping around mama. The noise is starting again mama. Make it stop.”

“Oh I forgot something. You need to let the thoughts go on their way so they can continue out of your head. You control the light. Turn the traffic light to green. As long as you are on the sidewalk they can´t bother you. Is the light green? Ok. The thoughts can continue on their way. You can just let them go. Watch them from the sidewalk. Wave goodbye if you want.”

“Mama, they are moving now. They are going away. They were so big before, now they are tiny!”

A careful smile and a less wrinkled brow.

“Good sweetie. Just watch them fade into the distance in your mind. The thoughts can just go on their way. Open your eyes baby. What book shall we read? Your turn to choose.”

A hug. A look along the line of books in the bookcase. A favourite picked out and carried over to the comfy couch. Mama picks up her cup of coffee. Chaos averted. They take turns reading and the thoughts, now ignored, chatter less. Disgruntled yet powerless, unprotesting the thoughts continue on their way.