Matches the Dragon

This week we have a visitor in our home. Our 4 year old has disappeared but there is a nice dragon named Matches who looks just like our son but talks in a quiet, gravelly voice. In November and December it was Yoshi, a character from Mario Kart, who at our house speaks with a very high pitched voice and can be quite naughty. At the new year we finally had to ask for our real son to return because we missed him. He has also been Ruby the Red Fairy, Amber another Fairy, and a few other characters whose names I missed. For some reason I have completely humored him with his imaginary characters. At church I write his real name as well as that day's character's name on his name tags. I call him by his character's name and then he will follow directions. I don't have a good imagination, but he does and I really don't want to squash it, even when the voices sometimes grate on my nerves. And Yoshi's voice can be really hard on your ears. But I am hoping if I honor his imagination now and show him that I respect who he is he will know that HE is important to me.