Include me before making decisions that affect me.
When it looks like I am having, what you call a tantrum, it is all I know to do to make contact, to be heard, to be taken seriously, to be held. I am not wanting to bother anyone, or cause trouble
I am naturally creative. Notice how I make things out of leaves, or sticks, or bubbles, or crayons. Notice how I like to climb and explore, and discover everything all at once. Listen to my imagination at work. That's not just kid stuff. That is what you might do too if you would join with me.
Sometimes, I know what to do without reading written instructions. I don't have words for it, I just know. I have the ability to see how things go together. I may do things differently than the way you learned. That's ok. Both ways may work. And anyway, I have fun finding my own way. The destination don't matter that much.
No matter how old I am: (three years old, sixteen, or
forty-five), I am not intending to deceive you, take advantage of you, use you,
or disrespect you. If you have those thoughts or the belief that I am
"asking too much," that is not my intent. I am really, searching
out ways to make contact, and to be with you, for you to acknowledge my presence.I am wise. I know things. I see things. I naturally know what I need to know. I
believe and trust myself and my intuition. Unless I learn to not trust
myself. I have to be taught from
the outside to not believe the truth of things. I may take longer than you completing something. That
is because I am in no hurry to get anything done. I haven't learned
yet that hurrying, being busy and always anxious, are fun.
I do not need you to always say Yes to me. Actually,
yes or no don't matter. What matters is how you hold me in your heart,
how you see me, and your appreciation for me. 'Cause when you appreciate
me, and see through my eyes too, a yes or no will always be the right thing for
both of us.
I do not need you to be with me. I need you to be
with yourself. When you are with yourself, you are with me.
When I cry, I am feeling. Crying can be like
sneezing, feeling close to you, singing or running. It is just my body
expressing itself. I might have been sad, or hurt or afraid. When I
am feeling in my body, I am relieved. I have few words. All you need do is be present with me, so
that I know you are there, but not trying to stop me, make me feel better or fix me. Being with me is good enough.
I sometimes feel safe in the world. Sometimes I
don't. If I feel or sense something, and others don't, (maybe even make
fun of me), I get even more scared. I can feel so alone and
wrong. It helps when you take me seriously, regardless of my age, and ask
me more questions about what I “see,” feel or sense. I might be seeing something you need to know.
I really am your gift. I am not just a little person
who needs to be "raised" and taught, and taken to activities. I am not, by accident in your life. Incredible or unbelievable as this may
sound, I came to the people in my life to bring a message: slow
down. Feel. Be. Over and over again. When you do, you will
notice immediately, that I am not an obstacle to your work, or inconvenient to
your daily life. Instead, you will come
to appreciate my honesty, humor, presence and love.
"Be yourself, and if you don’t know for sure what yourself is, ask me."
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