The Lizard Whisperer

On FFL’s Magic Kingdom day, I took Delaney and some other tweens who are big enough to deal with diabetes but are still a little too scared to ride Splash Mountain to explore Tom Sawyer’s Island. They can cope with needles, sets and lancets but a meticulously engineered, time proven ride was scary, dark, wet, hot tunnels were cool.

It is important to let them figure out for themselves what is OK.

There was a very small baby rabbit hopping about the island eating some leaves. We all stopped to check it out. It was small, fluffy, cute and in a departure of Disney World - real, not made in Taiwan and not for sale exiting a ride.

As we were looking at it one of Delaney’s friends turned away, dropped to all fours and froze. You know how a predator becomes rock still stalking its prey? That is what Madi had become.

I was becoming a wee bit concerned, though briefly about glucagons, when a hand shot out. She rolled into a sitting position and became the smiley happy kid again, one who was gently holding a gecko in her hands.

My boys have been trying to get near one of theses things for 10 years. No luck.

It took Madi less than ten seconds to have one in her hands. (OK there may be some genetics at work here, her dad gets paid for driving F16s so there may be a fighter jock predator gene kicking in.)

It sat calmly in her grasp. She patted it with a finger and showed it around to all the former bunny watchers then let it go none the worse for the wear.

Ya can never tell what talents a kid may have. If you are lucky and you sit back, still, long enough they may show you.

If one is quick enough with a gentle enough touch to catch a gecko and let it go unharmed they may be a lizard whisperer. That is a far more interesting definition of a child than diabetic.

It is important to let them figure out for themselves who they are, we need to see the lizard whisperers where once we saw a diabetic.