Loss of Innocence

Listening to some of the stories on the annual Radiothon for the Alberta Children's Hospital on Country 105, there are certain parts that remind me of how quickly these kids have had to grow up.

One thing I loved about the ACH is that whenever you walk around, you see these kids - kids that are sick, kids that are dying, kids that can't leave the hospital - and what are they doing? They are playing! They are laughing and playing and riding their IV poles and giggling. How is it that these kids instinctively know how to handle serious illness better than any adult can?
They know about death. They understand it as well as they can. But they are brave. They are fearless. They realize they don't have as long as everyone else, so they take advantage of every moment to have fun and to do anything that gives them a smile while they still can. They understand what activities are dangerous for them, and which ones might be a touch risky but totally worth it. They have more knowledge about their bodies and their limitations and their existence in general than most give them credit for.
In the same moment, they have lost their innocence but not their zest for life. They have had to 'grow up' in an abrupt and brutal way, and yet they are the ones comforting those around them. They have had to talk about who gets their toys and stuffed animals when they go, or maybe if they want to be buried or cremated, or if they want to donate their organs for research. They have had to make decisions that the general public don't even give a second thought to until they are middle aged.

I think I have drawn more inspiration from those children than any successful, wealthy, famous, brave, adult.