Maui is used to being the biggest personality - and the smallest “person” - in the room, but last week she got a run for her money. Let me tell you the story.
Molly’s brother Paul and his wife Jess visited us for eight days. We had a beautiful time, and it was fun to get to know each other (they live in Boston, so visits are rare).
Jackson, their baby, is only 14 months old - and Maui didn’t quite know what to make of him.
Here’s a picture of Paul and baby Jackson:
The first night they were here we had dinner and hung out chatting for a while. Molly, of course, was playing with her nephew all night, reconnecting and giggling. He’s very affectionate and sweet. I could see right away that Jackson is a gentle soul and a loving boy.
Maui didn’t quite agree. She barked a LOT that night … I think because she was jealous of her Mom’s time being taken away. Molly picked her up a lot to hug her and reassure her, but Maui was NOT happy.
Jackson, of course, had the exact opposite reaction to Maui. He loved her at first sight. He pointed and said “OOOOOOOO!” (What baby wouldn’t be interested in a white fluffy soft little doggy?)
Well, Molly knows a little about communicating without words to creatures who don’t speak English (like Maui ;-). So she whispered in Jackson’s ear and sent him mental pictures to tell him how he should handle Maui.
She “told” Jackson that Maui is old, a little cranky, and used to getting things her own way. She is very sweet and gentle, and wouldn’t hurt him, ever, but she also would not like to be manhandled or taken by surprise. Since she’s also completely blind, she can’t see him and might get scared if he came up to her suddenly.
Molly “asked” Jackson to go slow with Maui and take her cues about whether to go close or not.
The whole time Molly “talked” to Jackson, he looked from her to Maui with his big brown eyes, which just got rounder and wider as Molly continued.
And he left her alone! After getting to know him, I’m not surprised, though. This kid is S-M-A-R-T.
For the next two days Jackson watched Maui from across the room. He never went near her. When she wasn’t near her food, bed, or toys he would explore them and see what they were all about, and several times he buried his nose in her little bed and “sniffed” … but he left her completely to herself.
Meanwhile, Maui stopped barking and started checking out Jackson. Molly “told” Maui that he was very little and might not be able to be as gentle as she would like, but to bear with him because he was still a puppy.
So they just watched each other.
On the third night, Jackson made contact and won Maui’s heart. Here’s what happened.
Maui was in the kitchen. Jackson was in the living room. He watched her, and then took two “crawls” toward her. Then he sat back on his bottom and just watched her again.
She turned her head toward him.
He took two more “crawls” and then sat again, looking to see what she would do. This time she turned her head away from him. He stayed where he was and waited.
A minute later she turned her head towards him again, and he took a few more crawls, then sat back to watch. She kept her head turned toward him.
They continued to do this - him advancing if she looked at him and staying still if she looked away - until he was sitting right next to her.
Maui stood with her head turned toward him.
He reached out his chubby little hand and put his palm on her back, just resting it gently on her white fluffy fur.
Maui stayed very still.
Then he patted her very softly, running his little hand all the way down to her tail, then putting it gently at the top of her shoulders and running it down to her tail again.
She stayed still and kept her head to him.
After a few pets she waited until his hand came up to her shoulder, then gently turned and licked his fingers. He giggled quietly, and she licked again.
He giggled a little louder, and she licked some more.
Then he broke out in that insane baby giggle, full-throated and deliriously happy … and she licked his fingers and walked away.
He stayed there laughing.
Molly and I had tears in our eyes as we watched.
The gentleness of that interaction - the trust, the love, the curiosity, the respect … was inspiring.
After that Maui and Jackson had an easy relationship. She no longer stayed away. But he stayed extremely kind, gentle, and respectful.
This time of year is when we celebrate innocence and joy - and this was the best example I’d seen in a long time.
May your heart be as curious, open, trusting, respectful, and loving as Jackson’s was.
And may you always have someone to lick your fingers in return.
and back to bouncy. 
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