To the mother who gave birth to a "feral child,"
Your piece was witty, endearing, and the cover photo alone reminded me of myself. I want to say thank you for beautifully enlightening the world on a mother's view of these energetic children. Like your daughter, I am grew up as what you refer to as a feral child. Worried about her climbing on everything? As a senior in high school I was still climbing trees. But don't fret, one day you'll thank us when you find that there is more beauty to our enigmatic characteristics than you could ever imagine.
1. We're happy-go-lucky.
Like you said, we're not feral in the sense that we want to harm people. We just have an undying positive aura that comes off as "different" or "wild." We're the ones to pick you up when you are down. People tend to describe us as "fairies" and "stars" because we're always shining an intangible mystical light. And if our light is ever broken, we fight until it is restored. People don't understand why we are the way we are, even when they analyze our lives. Frankly, we will never understand it either.
What I do know is that we embody life. We're the ones connecting with nature. We don't just like the idea of the wide open outdoors, we need things like fresh air, rushing waterfalls, and rolling hills. As a science student, I hate to say something that has no evidence to back it up, but I feel like holding back from connecting with nature can actually make a person sick, especially if they are a feral child like me. Maybe we have such a positive outlook on life simply because we are happy the world is spinning and giving us life.
2. We're headstrong.
I could have called us stubborn--that would probably explain why my favorite animal is a donkey. But I say headstrong because when we put our mind to something we can't rest until we've achieved our goals. As young as 8, my aunt would lose me every time I came to visit her farm. She would usually find I had sneaked under her electric fence to play with her donkeys.
Not even the fear electrocuting myself could get in the way of what I wanted (by the way, don't worry--I had my ways of figuring out if the fence was on, without hurting myself). Additionally, I was so determined to get her shy new stray kitten to succumb to human touch that I spent all summer thinking of ways to out-wit the cat into my loving arms, regardless of getting bit and scratched. To this day I will spend hours planning how to make what I want work.
So to the woman with a feral child, put your child in every activity you can afford. Challenge her to learn new things everyday to see where her interests lie, and she will take care of the rest. You'll be astonished to see that nothing can stand in the way of what she wants.
3. We're jacks-of-all-trades.
We will never be just an athlete, or just a scientist, or just an entertainer. We have to do it all, and all at once, to feel complete. I have to stick to a strict schedule because I have so many activities. Breathing comes second to full-time college, multiple jobs, traveling, playing soccer, participating in clubs, singing, dancing, playing the piano, exercising, analyzing the components of my diet and taking improv classes, because that's how I like things to be.
I would say the hardest thing for feral children to master is either time management or budgeting, each of which is a by-product of being involved in so many activities. But as you may have realized, we like challenges, and that doesn't stop us from doing what we enjoy.
4. We're innovators and entrepreneurs.
As a kid, we're viewed as pushing boundaries. Testing limits. As it turns out, we're the people that think outside the box, giving new ideas to the world. If you have any idea of what kid's shows were like at the turn of the century, you can understand why "Out Of The Box" was my favorite show.
Similar to how Vivian and Tony, the babysitters in the show, take the children's imagination and bring it to life, we feral children are the ones that will do jobs the way they've never been done before, changing the industry in which we work. We can't settle for the way things are going when they could be better, and more fun! People don't understand the way we think, but they don't have to. They'll see one day why it was worth the trouble of putting up with our crazy ideas when we become successful. Thank you to all mothers for being the first people to love us through all of this.
5. We're adventure-seekers.
Mother of a feral child, one day your child's imagination is going to become her reality. If she's at the top of the jungle gym saying, "I can fly!" then be prepared for a life-long traveler. When your daughter grows up, she will become the best friend that you wished you could have had that says yes to every opportunity to have fun and learn new things. When you feel like you're too mature to try new things and see the world, she will be at your doorstep begging you to join her. She will always be down to make plans and keep you feeling young.
One day your daughter will be my age. It's going to be a long journey dealing with her as she grows up, but it will be so worth it. When she's an adult, you'll be amazed when you look back and see all the beautiful things that have come about. Sometimes I'm even surprised at how I was as a child.
How did I win 2nd place in my first (and only) talent show, art competition, and spelling bee before I went to high school? How did I spend my senior year in high school getting a standing ovation at a national choral convention, playing varsity soccer, getting my first job, and becoming officer of an honor society? Everything seemed so easy before college, and then all of a sudden things were difficult.
Now that college is ending for me, I've come to realize that things were suddenly difficult because I thought adulthood meant shedding the feral child persona, and that was the worst thing I could have done. I tried to change myself to fit in with society, instead of finding my niche (side note: I NEVER tried to fit into a certain clique growing up, so why I was trying to become a certain way, I don't know). The feral child in me fought to come out as I resisted it for a few years. Now I know I'll master what we millennials call "adulting," but in a way that fits my personality--on the verge of greatness.
I don't know what I'll be when I grow up (because let's face it, I have a lot of growing up to do), but I'll accomplish some pretty cool stuff on the way. In fact, I never saw myself as much of a writer, but here I am. So, as the adult version of a feral child, here is my advice to you, the mother: don't ever let her feel cooped up like a caged bird. She deserves to spread her wings forever to discover her greatness. You seem to be off to a good start, and for that, I appreciate you. You're awesome!
