"Stuff"

I can hear her walking down the hall in the morning. I always know it is her by the sound of plastic. She carries around a hand-picked selection of plastic bags to put "stuff" in. Eva never puts anything of value in them, just "stuff". I hear the sound when she climbs into bed. Her pillow case is filled with little plastic baggies of "stuff". Eva wants to take them wherever she goes, although she never opens them. Last night I cleaned out a kitchen knife (from the play kitchen), small New Testament, and a hair bow from her plastic baggie.

Backpacks, purses are filled to the max. Whatever she has, she wants a lot of it. Food. She can never have just a little, but it has to be a plateful, or a second helping. Water. She will go into the house every 5 minutes to get water. Eva always wants a cupful of water all day long.

What is it? A sense of security of having something? Is she afraid she won't have it? Is it just fun to have "stuff" in little bags? When she was younger, and something was missing, we knew to look in Eva's bags. She always had it. When I ask her why she has plastic bags of "stuff", she says, "I don't know." Maybe she doesn't know. Sometimes it is sad to see her carrying her bags from room to room, never opening them, having the need to take them with her. Other times, I just laugh at her. Sweet Eva.