I recently got to watch a very cute baby animal enjoy life for a while. This little being was indeed, very baby, and indeed, very cute.
I noticed that just like a toddler, this baby would hide near Mom (sometimes, under Mom). Then he would explore for a while, only to return and check in. This happened consistently.
Explore, return, feel safe,
Explore, return, feel safe.
There’s a developmental term for when humans do this. When babies or toddlers try new things, then look at caregivers for assurance that an action is safe, this is called social referencing. And though it happens in a particular way at a developmental stage of life, I’m not sure we ever lose this entirely. We also like to try new things, return, and take refuge in one another. Throughout our lives, we love to feel ourselves seen and known in the loving care and gaze of one another.
Which people, communities, and homes provide this for you?
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 