What have we lost

[Anne van Alkemade]

Robyn and I visited a friend yesterday who has an old dog called Toby. He's a lovely, good natured chap, but not so happy to be around young children. Yet when Robyn sat on the floor, Toby made a b-line for her and when she put her arms around his neck (with adults watching carefully, awaiting the tears), he leaned in for a cuddle. This happened four or five times while we were there.
My friend Helen assures me that this is really unusual behaviour for Toby and she has not seen him do it with other young children before!
It has me wondering about what it is as adults we have lost in terms of communications beyond speech and body language.
For those who don't already know, Robyn has global development delay. It's a generic term meaning medical people have no bloody idea what's 'wrong' with her, just that she has difficulty learning verbal communications and maybe one or two other things. She is hyperactive, doesn't have long sleeps like other children, has a usually very short attention span, and generally displays many of the characteristics of a child with autism EXCEPT that she is very gregarious and affectionate towards others - both people and clearly animals too.
It's a fairly common thing for me to look out my kitchen window and see Robyn playing in the backyard, with all 8 of my chooks following her where ever she goes. Let me just point out, she's not the most gentle child and I'm trying to teach her gentleness with animals. Yet, this is something animals are willing to put up with just to be in her sphere.
What do they know that we don't?
It's not just animals either. I've been told by school and carers, that Robyn has an exceptionally good effect on other children. This is a source of a great deal of pride to me and also WONDER because she does not always have that affect on adults who instead see an unruly, disruptive character and in some cases they think she's just a plain naughty child (very short-sightedly, I feel, when they know she has her own set of challenges in life).
So I ask again, what is it as adults we have lost? What sense of 'good', or spirituality or loving ...
Why do animals and children respond so positively to my daughter's presence?
I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, simply enjoy this aspect of my gorgeous girl's existence.
But you have to wonder what it is we may have lost, and mourn it a little too.

(There is a photo which I'll post shortly)

[Anne van Alkemade]

I'm glad you got something from it, Bernadette. I just wonder if there is something mystical that animals and children have that we lose as adults. I wonder if it's that something that would protect us against things like depression. Perhaps if we could find it again ... ???
xxx Thanks again for reading.

[Bernadette Claffey]

That's a beautiful story. I do mourn the loss of innocence and sense of wonder that I have lost through my journey with major depression. This story has touched me very deeply. Thank you for sharing it.