Hallelujah!

There are all kinds of unexpected consequences to Daniel being able to read. No longer being able to edit (or even shorten) stories that I read to them. Not being able to spell things out with Suzy (e.a.r.l.y. b.e.d.t.i.m.e.?). One of the strangest unexpected consequences happens on Sunday mornings at church. We do a responsive reading of a passage of scripture during the service. The pastor reads a line, then the congregation reads the next line, you get the picture. Well, Daniel has started to join in when the congregation reads, and he does a great job with it. But he is about a half beat off from everyone else. It is surprisingly hard to deal with. You have 300 people saying something at a particular rhythm, and Daniel is syncopated off of that rhythm.

So this morning, we are doing the responsive reading, and Daniel is just about a second behind everyone else. The last word in the passage was 'Hallelujah!', with the exclamation point. One of the things they have been emphasizing in school is paying attention to punctuation, and how that impacts what is said. So Daniel is very aware that an exclamation point means you stress that word, almost a shout. The nuance of the stressing of the word may be a bit lost on Daniel, so I am sure you all can see where this is going. Everyone else in the congregation had stopped talking, it was quiet and contemplative for about 0.5 seconds, when Daniel lets out with a raucous,

'HALLELUJAH!'

Amen, preach it son!