| Floyd | Listen closely as I tell you the story of two young
raccoons, a brother and a sister named Best Day Ever and Little
Mask. Despite several sad events that happened early in .... |
| Floyd | ... their lives, they were happy, curious
and playful. (giggling children under) |
| Floyd | Their parents were curious, too, as most
raccoons are, but their curiosity got them into trouble when they
found a garbage can with several cans of open beer.. |
| Floyd | Licking the cans and liking what they
tasted, |
| Floyd | Mother and Father Raccoon tipped the
garbage can over so they could drink the liquid inside. Several times
a week Mother and Father Raccoon returned looking for more to drink.
|
| Floyd | On a few occasions, a big round silver
container holding beer was left next to the garbage can. Attached to
it was a hose. |
| Floyd | The Raccoons found that licking the hose
was an easy way to drink the beer..What they did not know, however,
was that Mother Raccoon was pregnant. |
| Floyd | All the time she was drinking the beer, so
were her unborn babies. . |
| Floyd | When the three baby raccoons were born,
only two survived. The boy named, Best Day Ever and his sister they
called Little Mask. Because their parents had never had babies before
they did not recognize that Best Day Ever looked different from his
sister and cousins. |
| Floyd | His body was small and thin. His nose
short, his eyes small and his tail was kinked at the end. The other
thing the parents did not realize was that these two raccoons took
longer to learn than others. The raccoon parents thought their babies
were just fine and loved them just the way they were.. |
| Floyd | Despite the birth of their babies, Mother
and Father Raccoon were spending more and more time away from their
nest searching for beer and other alcohol, leaving Best Day Ever and
Little Mask to forage for themselves. . |
| Floyd | One morning the Raccoon parents left home
to look for more alcohol never to return. At first, Best Day Ever and
Little Mask did not worry. They had grown accustomed to their
parentsí absence. . |
| Floyd | As time went on, however, they became
hungry and decided to look for food on their own. They caught a few
grasshoppers, ate the goldfish out of the Farmerís pond,... |
| Floyd | ... and rummaged through the garbage dump.
Feeling tired, Little Mask suggested they go home, .... |
| Floyd | ....but neither one of them could remember
which way to go. |
| Floyd | Magpie, who had been watching the young
raccoons for some time, flew down to see if he could help: |
| Magpie | It looks like you are lost. |
| Little
Mask | We know how to get
home. We just donít remember which tree is ours. |
| Magpie | Oh, I see. Well, tell me what your home
looks like. Iíll fly around and see if I can find it. In the
meantime, Iím going to call Coyote. He will stay with you until I
return. |
| Floyd | Magpie screeched loudly several times and
Coyote walked quietly out of the trees and .... |
| Floyd | .... greeted the two young raccoons. Magpie
flew off.. |
| Floyd | A short time later Magpie returned with a
sad expression. Magpie called Coyote to his side and told him quietly
what he had found.. |
| Floyd | Coyoteís ears drooped when he heard the
news. Unaware of how their lives had just changed, |
| Floyd | ... the two little raccoons started to
wander off. Magpie noticed and called after them:. |
| Magpie | (scolding voice) Stop, stay close. Coyote
and I will take you where it is safe. |
| Floyd | With Magpie leading the way and Coyote
bringing up the rear, the odd quartet headed deep into the forest.
|
| Floyd | The sun was setting, the hour was growing
late. The two young raccoons were getting tired and hungry. Magpie
brought them berries and bugs. But each time the bird did so, they
all had to stop so that the raccoons could wash their food in the
nearby creek. They learned this routine from watching their parents
and neither one would eat until they had done so. |
| Floyd | Every now and then the little raccoons
would call out for their mother and father. Coyote and Magpie would
try to comfort them but with little lasting success. |
| Floyd | Finally, after what seemed a very long
time they reached a clearing in the woods.There was a fire burning
and all the birds and animals, and insects of the woodlands were
gathered. Despite the very large crowd, it was very silent. Coyote,
walked slowly between Little Mask and Best Day Ever as he went to
stand at the North of the circle of animals.. |
| Floyd | All eyes were on Coyote as he began to
speak: |
| Coyote | I have brought to our healing circle two
young raccoons who, due to alcohol, are now orphans. Magpie found
them lost and scared. He flew to look for their parents and found
them lying by the side of the road at the place where the humans
throw their trash. I am sorry to say...Mother and Father Raccoon
drank too much alcohol. They were drunk and wandered into the
road...and, well, we all know the rest... |
| Floyd | Coyote bowed his head with sorrow and
continued.. |
| Coyote | Now we have two young ones that still need
the guidance and care of parents and our forest community. Are there
any of you who would be willing to take on this task? |
| Floyd | After a long pause, Grandfather and
Grandmother Otter stepped forward. |
| Grandfather
Otter | We are older
now. |
| Grandmother
Otter | (chiming in) ìYes,
and I can bear no more children. But my old mate and I have raised
many. We would like to take on the care of these young ones.. |
| Little
Mask | (exclaiming) ìYes,
Yes! I have seen the young otters slide and play in the water. Letís
go home with them.. |
| Floyd | With this, Little Mask pulled on her
brotherís paw and they went over and stood next to Grandfather and
Grandmother Otter. |
| Coyote | (slowly and thoughtfully) Well... |
| Floyd | Just then Mother Fox stepped up to Coyote
and whispered in his ear. Coyote turned to where.... |
| Floyd | ....Father Fox sat with his special
daughter. Coyote then looked closely at... |
| Floyd | ....the two orphaned raccoons. His eyes
widened in recognition as he studied Best Day Everís face. . |
| Floyd | Turning back to Mother Fox he nodded. |
| Coyote | Thank you all for coming to our circle
tonight. We ask the Creator to guide you safely home. Will the
Otters, the Fox family, Bear, Deer and Dr. Raven please stay. |
| Floyd | The other creatures left the healing circle
murmuring about the sad fate of Mother and Father Raccoon. As they
left, Eagle flew silently overhead and landed on a rock next to
Coyote, spreading her wings as if to welcome and protect all
present. |
| Eagle | Coyote, thank you for your help. I will
thank Magpie tomorrow for his efforts. (Quiet Voice) Now I have
asked you to stay and offer your aide and support to the Otters..Dr.
Raven...is it true what Mother Fox believes...that Best Day Ever and
Little Mask have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? |
| Floyd | Dr. Raven folded his wings and moved closer
to the small raccoons. He carefully studied their faces and estimated
their height and weight.. |
| Raven | (murmuring) hmmmm...letís see. (Tapping his
chest with his wings, gently replied) Yes, dear Eagle. I believe it
is true that Best Day Ever has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I also suspect
that Little Mask has Fetal Alcohol Related Conditions based on her
behavior. .. |
| Raven | I would like Grandmother and Grandfather
Otter, Bear and the Foxes to return to this healing circle at the
time of the next full moon. Grandmother and Grandfather Otter, you
know Deer, the head teacher at our forest school? She works with our
children who need special help. Please, take your children to her in
the morning. She will be able to give you much of the information you
will need. In the meantime .... |
| Raven | .... I hope you, Mother and Father Fox,
and ..... |
| Raven | ... you, Bear, will share what you know to
help our young orphaned ones. |
| Floyd | Best Day Ever and Little Mask were very
sleepy as Grandmother and Grandfather Otter lead them home.. |
| Floyd | Once they reached the creek, Grandmother
Otter slid into the stream and swam to the small island where she and
her mate lived.. |
| Grandmother
Otter | Come children, it is
time to sleep... |
| Little Mask/Best
Day | We donít swim well. We
canít get to the island.. |
| Grandfather
Otter | Never mind. (He
called across the creek) Go to sleep Mother. I know you are very
tired. . |
| Grandfather
Otter | I will make new beds
here on the shore and stay with our daughter and son tonight. |
| Floyd | Grandfather Otter pulled moss and pine
needles together and bedded down with his new children. |
| Floyd | Early the next day, Grandmother and
Grandfather Otter woke with their new children. It was time for them
to get ready for school, but first they needed to eat and groom
themselves. . |
| Best Day
Ever | Wow, fish for
breakfast, yum! This is the best. |
| Little
Mask | Where are our mom and
dad? Why arenít they here? Where is our nest? |
| Grandmother
Otter | Little ones, donít
you remember what was said last night? Your parents have passed to
the Spirit World. We will watch over you now. |
| Floyd | Little Mask and Best Day Ever started to
cry. They missed their parents and their home. The Otters held them
and patted them, drying their tears. After a while, Little Mask
looked up. |
| Little
Mask | Whatís school? |
| Grandfather
Otter | Dear child, have you
never been to school? To where all young animals go to learn how to
talk to each other, how to take care of themselves, all the lessons
little ones must learn? Didnít your parents ever take you? |
| Little
Mask | (sad) Our parents
were gone a lot. We played and ate on our own. Thatís what we did all
day. |
| Floyd | Grandfather and Grandmother Otter could see
the little ones would need time and extra help. They were not
newborns but many important lessons had not been learned. Still, from
what they could see, Little Mask andBest Day Ever were eager to
learn. |
| Floyd | After eating their fish, Grandfather Otter
called his children to his side. |
| Grandfather
Otter | Come with me kids. I
will show you how to swim on our way to school.î |
| Floyd | Grandfather Otter jumped into the water,
rolled over and beckoned to the young raccoons. Little Mask and Best
Day Ever jumped in but both ended up coughing and very
frightened. |
| Floyd | Grandfather Otter swam to the shore pulling
a small wet raccoon with his front paws. He waded back into a shallow
part of the stream and showed the young ones how to work the front
and rear paws in the water. He saw that, unlike himself, Little Mask
and Best Day Ever swam with their heads out of the water. This made
them slower, but, Grandfather Otter decided, this was better than
drowning. |
| Floyd | When they arrived at school they saw Deer
the teacher... and sitting at desks were young animals of all kinds.
|
| Deer | Grandfather Otter, thank you for bringing
me these special ones. This is a class for little ones who need extra
support. You must be tired after last night and your travels this
morning. I will meet with you in a few minutes. In the meantime, have
a seat and while youíre waiting take a look .... |
| Deer | ... at this information about Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Related Conditions in children. You might
find it helpful. |
| Floyd | Grandfather Otter read the information that
Deer had given him. It seemed there was so much he had to learn.
. |
| Floyd | Grandfather Otter watched his new daughter
and son who were busy drawing. He noticed that Deer had several
animals helping her in the classroom. Grandfather Otter became more
concerned. If Deer needed so much help when she had the information,
how would he and Grandmother Otter ever manage? . |
| Floyd | Deer turned toward Grandfather Otter, who
looked overwhelmed. |
| Deer | Grandfather Otter, why donít you sit and
watch how we work here in the classroom. And while youíre watching
think about what you have read Donít expect that you will learn all
of this in one day. You have raised many children and you know what
to do in many situations. But all of us have to make adjustments for
... |
| Deer | ... our specials ones. Youíll find that
itís not about trying harder, itís about taking a different
approach.. |
| Deer | Take what you learn here and share with
your mate all that you learn. Many of the ideas we use will be useful
at home. .Iíll see you at the next healing circles along with many
other parents. . |
| Floyd | At the end of the school day Grandfather
Otter gathered his papers and went over and took the paw of each
small raccoon. The small raccoons ran down the path, pulling
Grandfather Otter with them all the way home.. |
| Floyd | That night after the children had fallen
asleep, Grandfather Otter expressed some of his concerns. |
| Grandfather
Otter | (moaning)
Grandmother, I have been so confused today. Sometimes I think that
having those beautiful children is the most wonderful gift. But, I am
so tired tonight. Iím just not sure I can give them all they will
need.î. |
| Grandmother
Otter | (laughing kindly)
ìMy precious one...we will have help. Today, I received a flyer
telling of our raccoonsí appointment with Dr. Raven. After the
healing circle, there is a meeting for parents who are raising
special children, like us. The Foxes, who attend these meetings, and
Dr. Raven will be coming for dinner soon. They and others will help
us. |
| Floyd | Grandmother Otter nuzzled her mateís cheek
and fell asleep. |
| Floyd | Every day Grandfather Otter took his
children to school. He stayed with them, watching how Deer and her
aides provided structure, consistency, and humor along with reading,
spelling, math, and social skills training. Each night he shared what
he had learned with his mate. |
| Floyd | While they were away at school, Grandmother
Otter made changes in the house. One day, she had put labels and
pictures on all of the drawers and cabinets, telling what was inside.
She had taped off areas in different colors, red for Little Mask and
yellow for Best Day Ever. This way each child had a special place
that was just for them. |
| Floyd | The day before the visit to the healing
circle, the Fox family and Dr. Raven came for dinner. Both families
sat down to a table laden with fruit, fish, and tasty insects. Each
little raccoon had a water bowl by their plate to wash their food, as
was their custom. |
| Floyd | After the children had eaten their fill,
they and Grandfather Otter went down to the stream. He marked a safe
area for the children, and told them to play carefully and stay
within the boundary. Then he left to help with the cleanup. When all
the chores were done, |
| Floyd | (Then he left to help with the cleanup.
When all the chores were done, ) ... Mother and Father Fox spoke of
the troubles they had ... |
| Floyd | ... and the changes they made to help their
special daughter... |
| Floyd | Stays in the Moment. They found that many
of the tools used for her ... |
| Floyd | ... also helped their other two kits. |
| Floyd | The stories were soon interrupted when a
loud yelp of laughter came from the stream. All the adults jumped up
and ran to see what was going on. At the swimming hole where all of
the children were playing,.... |
| Floyd | (At the swimming hole where all of the
children were playing,) ... Little Mask was on a tire, swinging out
over the bank and on the verge of letting go. The other children were
laughing and rolling on the ground. |
| Grandfather
Otter | Stop! Stop! Do not
let go. Little Mask you need to stop and get down now. |
| Floyd | Little Mask slowed, then hopped off. |
| Little
Mask | (crying) What was I
doing wrong? You said we could swim. |
| Grandfather
Otter | Little Mask, I told
you, stay within the area I marked for you. Donít you remember? You
could have been seriously hurt if you had let go over the grass
instead of the water. You scared us! |
| Little
Mask | But Grandfather, I
didnít see any marks. I was showing how good I could swing. Arenít
you proud of me? |
| Grandfather
Otter | Oh my....of course
you donít know what my Otterís marks are. You are a raccoon. I need
to think better and show you things more clearly. Letís go in. Say
good night to the Foxes. Weíll see them again tomorrow.î |
| Floyd | After saying good byes, the Foxes and Dr.
Raven slipped off into the forest. The otters picked up their
precious foster children and carried them into the house, tucking
them in and telling them bedtime stories. . |
| Floyd | The next morning dawned bright and
beautiful. Little Mask and Best Day Ever were up before the sun and
exploring. They ran into wake the Otters. |
| Floyd | Grandfather Otter followed the excited
youngsters down to the stream. He stopped in surprise. Standing on
the shore where Little Mask had nearly fallen the night before were
Mouse, Beaver, and Elk, all smiling broadly in the sunlight. |
| Mouse | We heard what happened last night and we
wanted to help! So I chewed through the rope...Elk took the tire
away, .... and we put bramble bushes around for boundaries ... |
| Mouse | Safe fun for your little ones.. |
| Grandfather
Otter | (sighing in
gratitude) Thank you so much. Let us know if thereís some way we can
return your gift of caring. Please, excuse us. We journey to the
healing circle today. |
| Floyd | The Otter and Fox families began their
journey. After a few hours, they reached the healing circle. |
| Floyd | Standing at the edge of the circle were
Coyote and Dr. Raven. Dr. Raven smiled broadly and motioned to the
otters and raccoons to enter the healing circle. |
| Raven | Welcome! Gathered here today are all the
ones who have come to help you and your children. Some of the ones
here you know and I will introduce you to the rest. Let me tell you
why they are important in this circle of healing and in your
childrensí lives. |
| Floyd | The first to enter was Owl, the
psychologist. Owlís job was to help the Otters understand how their
childrenís brains might have been hurt by the alcohol. |
| Floyd | Owl asked many questions about the Otterís
family life, problems and the successes they had with their littles
ones, and the things they felt, as parents, they did well. .. |
| Floyd | Owlís helper, Rabbit, came next. Rabbitís
job was to test Little Mask and Best Day Ever to find their strengths
and skills. She also measured what the young raccoons had learned so
far in their lives. |
| Floyd | Next was Kingfisher. He listened to the way
the little raccoons spoke. From their speech patterns he could
understand how they learned, how their brains worked, and what types
of help they would need to understand their everyday world. |
| Floyd | Deer, the head teacher from the forest
school entered, and smiled at the Otters and the little raccoons. |
| Floyd | Next Bear joined the circle. Bear, herself,
had a teenage daughter who had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Bearís job at
the circle was to help parents feel at ease and help them gain
services for their children. She also helped lead the parentís
support group.. |
| Floyd | Squirrel came next. Her job was very
important. It was to tell all the animals in the forest about Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome and how to prevent it from happening. . |
| Floyd | Dr. Raven and his team worked closely with
the Otter/Raccoon family. After several hours of examining the two
little Raccoons, ... |
| Floyd | ...Dr. Raven and his team sat down with
Grandmother and Grandfather Otter to share what they had learned. |
| Raven | Well...you may have noticed that your
children have different skills and strengths. One is bigger than the
other; one is quicker to learn. That is because, although they are
from the same litter, one of your precious children is more affected
by the alcohol than the other. We do not know how this happens.
However, .... |
| Raven | .... both of your children are indeed
affected by the alcohol their mother drank. Little Mask shows less of
the facial features and growth deficiency.... |
| Raven | ... but she has many of the challenging
behaviors seen in children who were exposed to alcohol while in the
womb. We would say that she has Fetal Alcohol Related Conditions. I'm
sorry to say this means she has suffered some brain damage.. |
| Raven | Best Day Ever is smaller and has all of the
physical attributes seen in children with FAS. .Thank you for
bringing your lovely children to us, come again if you need
anything. |
| Floyd | Raven encouraged the Otters to read the
information given to them by the team and asked Bear to take them to
the Parentsí Support Group. |
| Floyd | Within a few minutes the group led by Bear
came to a small circle of stones arranged around a fire. Seated on
the stones were many other parents and caregivers. Bear went to the
North end of the circle. |
| Floyd | She stood quietly for a moment as welcomes
flew around. Then, she raised her paw and the circle became
silent. |
| Bear | This circle first came together because we,
as parents and caregivers to these special souls, felt so alone. We
often doubted our skills as parents, we saw little hope and almost no
understanding from the rest of the world. In this circle, we learned
to laugh again and to give each other a sense of hope and the
possibility of change for the better. There is no judgment here, only
encouragement and care.. |
| Floyd | When the circle came to Mother Fox, she
paused, then began: |
| Mother
Fox | I am here with my mate
to tell you of our child, Stays in the Moment.. |
| Mother
Fox | When we first came to
Dr. Ravenís clinic, we were frightened and confused. We often felt
angry that our child had trouble learning and making her way in the
world. . |
| Mother
Fox | Now, with the help of
Dr. Raven and his helpers, with the support of this circle, and with
more understanding from the forest community, we are making a big
difference in the life of our daughter.. |
| Mother
Fox | Today, we see her
behavior as a means of her trying to communicate with us. We are more
patient with her and ourselves. We have learned that we are not
alone. .. |
| Mother
Fox | We have also learned
that getting help as soon as you think there is something not working
well with your child is better than waiting in fear. Early
intervention has improved our chances of being successful.. |
| Mother
Fox | The most important
things we now have are tools to help our daughter. But, we know it
will take everyone in the sacred circle of life pulling together to
help her make her life better.. |
| Mother
Fox | Have hope, Grandmother
and Grandfather Otter. When you get tired, bring Little Mask and Best
Day Ever over to us. |
| Mother
Fox | We can give respite
care. Call on the oneís in this circle. (Laughing) And, donít worry.
Weíll be calling on you, too! |
| Floyd | With that, Mother Fox sat down and leaned
over to hug her daughter and mate..Others rose and offered similar
stories. Finally, the circle came back to Bear who sat in silence for
a moment, then she stood up and looked around the circle. |
| Bear | Thank you all for sharing. We all have the
same issues and dreams, fears and joys. If there are others you know
who might benefit from Dr. Ravenís clinic and our circle here, ask
them to join us. |
| Floyd | At the end of the night as the journey home
began, the moon beamed down and all were filled with hope, love, and
the promise .... |
| Floyd | .... of a better tomorrow for their
special souls...their children. |
