'The Waiting Treasure'

'The first suffering that a child experiences, which causes the first inner wound, is like a foretaste of death. All alone the child is too little, weak and vulnerable to be able to live. She needs adults to feed her and protect her against the things that are hostile in nature and society. If she does not feel loved, the child experiences the trauma of the fear of death. She is completely devastated, in a state of distress and panic in the face of this terrible reality. It looks from the outside as if the child is sulking. She cuts herself off from her relationships. But inside, life remains hidden like a treasure waiting to set out on its journey again if one day it is called to do so.'

- Jean Vanier, Our Journey Home, p. 140