Tuesdays were ferret visiting days for Sean's special ed classes at his
school.  Some children are haunting, others unforgettable for differing
reasons.  We all had our little rituals it seemed when I visited.  It was
a regular thing for me to come in, place the carrier with the ferret down
on the floor with a cover on it (so the kids are not over-stimmed at
first).  I would then speak to the teacher before turning towards the
children to get them situated.  Every Tuesday, I would feel a tiny tug on
my shirttail.  Every time I looked down as if I didn't know whom it was.
And every time I acted surprised to see the little sunny face.
 
::tug tug tug:: I'd look down to see a teeny pint size little girl
grinning away at me.
 
"I got a boyfriend", she'd say.
 
"Oh Emily, I didn't see you here.  Wow, how are you?"
 
"I got a boyfriend and his name is Austin, but he's not the Austin in this
class, he's a different kind of Austin, he's the Austin in another class,
and I love him", I was captivated by Emily.
 
She was a petite little thing but healthy looking, with long silky light
brown hair.  She was absolutely hugable.  Her family adored her and it
showed.  It showed in her dolled up hair, her carefully dressed manner,
and in her secure personality.  Now... it's a stereotype that Down's
Syndrome kids are loveable.  But from my experience with my nephew, and
others, I can tell you it's true!  Her smile was as huge as can be, and
it never failed to make me grin.
 
Some kids really benefit from the regular ferret visits.  There are
some that I believe "need it" also.  But Emily didn't fall into either
category.  She had a ball in any case, and I loved seeing her with my
babies.  She was the gentlest soul in the class and a wonderful role
model.  She was the first one I trusted to hold a ferret with my help.
She reached out for them without hesitation, and then kissed them even if
they licked her back.  She loved everything and anything about them.  She
was the perfect little student also.  And the children really responded
to that.  They looked to her for an example of how to behave around the
ferrets.  She had good past experiences with kitties and that helped a
lot.
 
I couldn't wait each day to put a ferret in her arms to see that huge
toothless grin (she had lost her front teeth), and that unconditional
love.  She usually was the first person to spend personal time with the
ferrets because it set up such a great example to the class of how to sit
patiently, how to be quiet, how to be still, and how to gently hold an
animal.  She has no wants environmentally, and no sensory issues to deal
with whatsoever.  However it is fact, that no matter how mild a Down's
child is, they can't have enough stimulation.  The more the better, it
helps them intellectually and emotionally.  So I hope that the ferret
visits at least did that for her, so that she got something from them.
After all, we all have benefited from what she has given to us over and
over -- joy, pure and simple.
 
Wolfy
 
Please visit:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/
for information on ferret deafness:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html
[Posted in FML issue 3700]