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I Was The Little Girl Wandering Away From The Gathering
Downstairs from the apartment I live in is a large common area with a beautifully maintained garden where I often take Trixie the labradoodle for a walk. The other day there was a family group in the barbecue area and a few metres away, behind a hedge, was a little girl sitting on a seat.
She looked self-composed and content and didn’t hesitate to walk over to pat Trixie as we lingered for a moment on the grass. As I walked away, a woman I assumed to be the little girl’s mother called on her to return to the group.
I felt disappointed on behalf of the little girl whose contentment had been abruptly cut short. Was there a reason her presence was urgently required? Birthday candles being lit? Ice creams being handed out? No surely, that would have been mentioned. As I walked past the group, it seemed to be business as usual.
I think it was a case of the mother attempting to restore order by bringing her child back within the fold of the group. Even though her daughter was meters away, the mother’s voice was brittle with unspoken fears.
Adults tend to assume something is wrong if a child wanders away from the pack. Even when there’s no risk to their safety, our…
