Today, the hospital made Paige feel as if she were back at school by giving her a half day of Saturday classes.  While she was in physical therapy, her father ran out to Petco to buy collars and tags for the menagerie of monkeys, bears, tigers and dogs sent by you, her very generous friends, so that Paige will know them all when her memory returns.  The cashier looked perplexed at this customer buying a large fistful of collars in a variety of colors and textures in eight, ten and twelve inch lengths.

This afternoon, our good friend, and Nina's mother, Laurie gave Paige a manicure and a foot massage.  Paige told her that this was the first time her feet had not hurt since she has been in the hospital.  Laurie also brought a large bright orange scarf for Paige's mother, because Paige had commented earlier that her mother always dressed in boring shades of grey.

Paige's uncles from Colorado and Pennsylvania, Amory and Chris, and her "twin" cousin Alex then arrived together for a first visit.  We briefed them beforehand in the cafeteria on the hospital's guidelines for relating to a person with a brain injury: remember that the person is thinking in slow motion, speak slowly of familiar people, places and experiences, use simple sentences, limit the visitors in the room, and always be calm, patient and positive.

When we brought them up to see Paige, she surprised us all by greeting each of them with a bright, big smile.  She would summon them one by one, in rotation, into her room until she tired of that formality and came out to the waiting room to greet them all.  She was far more lucid than even the day before.

The other Alex, her great friend from Kent, then arrived bearing news from school, brightly colored gel stickers for her window, and a large folder filled with greeting cards.  On the hospital's advice we had limited Paige to one visitor from school this weekend, but Paige was ready for more.

You were ready for her too.  Dear Hannah wrote that she had worked out on Mapquest that she could make it from Kent to Paige, on foot, in seven and one half hours.

We were able to recount to Paige some of the events of the last two weeks, and particularly the overwhelming outpouring of support in cards, flowers, blog comments and visits that she could not remember.  She absorbed every detail, at times quizzically, and often with a smile.   

We have found peace in the knowledge of your prayers and love and support, the guidance of her great medical teams, a few well learned prayers and a simple faith.  Today gave that peace an even stronger foundation.  It is a day that we will treasure.