One of the most endearing characteristics of Williams syndrome is friendliness. Yet, at the same time, it can also be the most unnerving to the parent. The same child who will hug and love on a grandparent they’ve never met will show the same affection to any stranger. And in today’s society, with child molestation, abuse, and abduction so prevalent, it is imperative that parents know the people that their child interacts with.
Michelle is the youngest of three children, so by the time she came along, I had a good idea what to expect in child development. Between 4 and 6 months, my oldest two went through stranger anxiety, where they realized that they didn’t know the person who wanted to hold them, and they started crying. Michelle never went through it. From infancy, she’s always loved new people and new faces – very characteristic of Williams syndrome. She’ll run up and hug a total stranger. Now that’s okay if she’s meeting my brother or sister for the first time. But when you’re at the grocery store and you strike up a conversation with the person in front of you in line, you don’t want your child hugging and kissing them. Or worse yet, taking someone’s hand and walking out of the store with them. But that is the reality of Williams syndrome. That is what the parents of these special children are up against.
One day, Floyd (my husband) said to me. “I’ve figured out why we can’t teach Michelle to be wary of strangers. Everyone she meets is her new friend.”
In a room full of people she doesn’t know, Michelle will see no strangers. And I’ve always said, “Michelle loves strangers; the stranger the better.”