A very special group of visitors to the zoo

A group of parents of kids with special needs working together

I am lucky to be able to volunteer at our local zoo. Most of the volunteers are seniors, and we love being there. It is a place to be with animals, be with families and help them learn and enjoy, and feel a part of something. This particular zoo does a lot of conservation work, partners with organizations (like the Amboseli Elephant Foundation in Africa), and has a wonderful vet hospital where rescued animals are brought to heal and either then go back into the wild (condors with lead poisoning from ingesting prey that was killed with lead bullets) or help them find a new forever home, like the 3 young mountain lion cubs that were recently rescued. Their mother was killed in an accident, and the cubs will not be able to survive in the wild as they did not get enough time with their mother to learn those skills.

I am on the behavior observation team. That means I get to spend several hours each time observing and recording animal behaviors. The zoo uses data to keep learning about the animals as well as to be able to see how they are doing and if anything needs to be adjusted to provide them with a better life. It is a zoo, yes, so, it is far from perfect. But it also has a lot of love given to these (mostly rescue) animals and can be a place where children can be taught about the wild and about respecting nature and its creatures.

I feel so blessed to be able to be a part of this. As a retired senior, I can now spend my time where I feel nourished, as well as giving back in ways that I can.

However, in addition to observing the animals, as you can imagine, I also get to observe the guests. We humans are such an interesting species, yes?

I see parents spending loving time teaching their children, allowing them all the time that they want at any exhibit.

I see parents rushing their children through to be able to get in as many exhibits as they can. Keeping to a schedule becomes primary.

And I see, sadly, many parents glued to their cell phones while the children are watching the animals, not even looking up to their parents anymore as they know that their attention is on their phones. I do my best to make eye contact with these kids, smile and let them know that they can approach me, maybe even share something about the animal that they are watching. It is a delightful connection, and sometimes I even get their parents’ attention!

One day I got to observe a very special group of guests. They were clearly together, probably about a dozen of them or so. All the children had some special need. These parents were so attentive, loving, and present with their children and to what was going on around them. It was a delight to watch and take in. The parents would take time to explain things, as well as share the excitement with their children about what they were looking at. And, what I also noticed was how this group was so supportive of each other. All the parents were keeping an eye on all the kids. It was a group outing, and everyone was taking care of everyone. It functioned like one big family, one loving group, all committed to making this experience a wonderful and safe one for all. Each could take a break when needed, knowing that others would be there to take over while they caught their breath for a few moments.

What a lovely sight to observe. I think that we could all learn from this. We can learn to support each other, to come together, to share the joy and the pain, to hold each other’s hands. We all have different needs and need attention. Some are just less obvious and quieter about it. I don’t mean to diminish at all the extra attention and work that special needs parents have, although I do also get to observe what looks like extra joy as well, when I see the love so openly expressed all around.

But I also don’t want to diminish the needs that we all have, the need to be seen, to be heard, to be paid attention to. We need to know that we can rest for a moment and know that someone will be there to help. We need to have special times where we share something and really take joy in the experience of that present moment in time.

I think that being an elder makes me a bit more aware of this. Watching all the families and their differences helps me keep learning and growing. And with each year, I realize how precious certain moments can be.

Hopefully I can keep sharing what I observe to help us all along this path of life. There are lessons and gifts everywhere if we stop and take the time to look and listen.

Watching this special group of visitors gives me hope.

Maybe we can learn how to come back together again, how we really are one big family on this precious earth, how we can share the joys and pain along the way. And maybe, just maybe, we can remember the power of kindness and love.