Grieving babies.

Apparently around 1 year or so, babies get really, really attached to the primary care giver, in this case Sayuri. They can't stand being separated. I had read about this, but tonight I got first hand experience of it. Sayuri had planned to go see one of our friends who is performing in a stage show tonight. We knew it would be tricky.

Anyway, I managed to put Rox to bed about an hour after Sayuri left. But it was not long before she woke up. She started bawling, and would not stop. I thought she was just getting cranky, so I kept doing my work, then I figured it must be milk time, so I made her a bottle, but no relief. She was completely inconsolable. It finally clicked. She was totally freaked out that Sayuri was not here. They never are apart, and she must really believe, in her baby way, that Sayuri is gone, like forever. Just as they are getting to really bond, then Sayuri is gone! She has no idea Sayuri only went to the theatre. For all she knows Sayuri may never come back.

This is real grief. She just cried, and cried. When I finally figured out what was going on, I consoled her the way you would someone who has lost a loved one. It worked. We had understanding. She did finally drift off to sleep, but even in her sleep she is still grieving, heaving a sigh every 5 seconds. This is really intense.

I went through separation anxiety with my dad. I would have these dreams, the first one was when I was 8, every three years or so, that he had died, and wake up in tears. Then he finally did die, just like in my dream, when I was 21.

I just want to end this post with a real heartbreaker of a story. It seems elephants too become very attached to their mothers Real tearjerker of a story.