My sister, Ferne, has three great-grandchildren.  They are the offspring of her two granddaughters.

I am looking forward to a visit from two of the babies and their mother this next week.  Several months ago, my husband and I had a visit from all three of the babies.  While anticipating the visit, a friend of mine teased,  “I can’t believe that you’re going to have three babies in your house.  It’s going to be a hard week.”

I agreed with a tone of sarcasm.  “Yep, it’ll be hard.  There are only three babies and there’ll be five of us adults fighting over who gets to hold them.  But I think the mothers will be tired, and they’ll allow the other three adults to spoil them a bit.”

In the church, I’ve never understood adults who seem to lose their ability to enjoy babies, children or teenagers.  Sure, these adolescents aren’t adults but that’s what makes them such a joy to be around.

There are many things that I love about working with people who are intellectually disabled.  Perhaps one of the best is that they have an attitude of youthful exuberance.  Being with them keeps my attitude young in much the same way babies and children do.

Now, I didn’t say the mentally challenged community remains children all their lives.  I remember when that was the prevalent view.  These are God’s special people because they are forever children.  This simply is not true.  People who are mentally challenged have all the expectation and aspiration of any other adult.  However, they express things differently.  For one thing, they never seem to hide their insecurities.

Laura carries a baby doll wherever she goes, giving the impression of childish emotions and values.  Yet, she is well spoken and easily understands complicated concepts.  Because she is blind, the feel of this familiar object that she has carried for years, gives her a great deal of comfort and support.

Laura reminds me of Brian a professional man whose wife confided to me.  “Whenever Brian travels, he carries his old worn-out terry bear.  I’ve tried to convince him to leave it home but he says it gives him comfort because he’s had it for years.”  Brian is sly enough to hide his favorite bear.  Laura will never be that complicated in her actions.

They don’t comprehend that awkwardness is unbecoming in adult society.  I remember struggling to hide habits that had become a part of my nature, as I reached the post-teenage years.  I had been raised in the South and we were taught to say, “Yes, mam” to anyone older than ourselves.  After reaching my twenties when I was at a party for the first time with many adults and I said, “yes, mam. ”  I was sternly rebuked.  I didn’t make that mistake again.

Carolyn dresses with sophistication.  When she emerges from her house, you would think that her image could grace any magazine cover.   That is, until she childishly giggles, putting her hands over her face in an awkward way that reveals her lack of self-consciousness.

As we become more mature, we learn to shed devotion to people who don’t return our affection.  But some people in the mentally challenged community never got that memo.

Tom has loved Eileen for years, but she doesn’t return his affection.  Rather than giving up, Tom continues to embrace the possibility that Eileen will one day favor him over the men who pursue her with little sense of devotion or commitment.

It is interesting that we live in a society that is  frantically racing after youth.  At the same time we reject everything that whispers a youthful attitude or mannerism.  It is a great blessing to be able to work and play, pray and worship with a group of people who don’t seem to get the nuances of adulthood.  Jesus said that unless we become child-like we will never see the kingdom of heaven.

Hiding our icons of insecurity,  adopting accepted norms, and shedding unuseful affectations are only three ways that people who are developmentally disabled are able to teach me the importance a child-like attitude.

What are some things that you have seen that impress you about the child-like attitude when you meet a new friend?  Who is one friend that you admire because she refuses to “act her age”?