Description: this is verbatim from my 5 year old son. baby brother was crying for "norman park". i tried to explain we had moved house and i couldn't take him back to our old one, but he was inconsolable.
joshua, his little voice gentle with concern, surprised me with an eloquent explanation. one that can be taken as poignant advice to release past circumstances, whatever they may be.
his words, as if magic, were immediate comfort for william.
comfort for william -------------------------------------------
the lights are all turned off
the furniture is gone
there is no food
we cannot go back there.
in our new house
it is bright!
there is food!
all our furniture is waiting for us!
The old saying "Out of the mouths of babes"! Absolutely charming, and even more enjoyable knowing that it came from such a youthful philosopher! Thanks for sharing this!
i read this a few days ago
and was struck by the clear logic
of your young Joshua and the fact that he
had his brother's best interest
at heart when he comforted him.
your heart must have almost burst.
it reminded me of sad times,
when i ended up taking refuge in
a grimy flat with my toddler.
i was utterly miserable and felt terribly guilty
because all i could afford at the time
were a few dank rooms. she didn't seem to notice
but looked out of the
window and pointed at some kittens playing in the
garden of the old derelict house next door.
after work the next day
i went to collect her from nursery
and was congratulated by the staff for being
able to find such a wonderful new home.
evidently my daughter had not stopped
talking about the lovely garden and
the pretty kittens
all day.
after that, i was inspired to strip all the walls
and scrub the place until my hands were raw ...
and we made a lovely home there until
i was able to get back on my feet.
yesterday, when driving up to London, i was listening to Prof Anthony Grayling being interviewed on the radio. it made me smile when, for all of his qualifications, writings and honours in philosophy (he is also the principal of the British Philosophical Association and the Aristotelian Society) he had to admit that he is often held in check by his young daughter.
i thought of your post 'comfort for William' when he stated on the radio that children are the purest philosophers of all.......
.... not that we need an academic to point this out to us.
Proof that children are often more logical than adults. I wonder how many people have spent years with the door behind them as open as the one in front of them. Best wishes to you, your family and the young philosopher.
Isn't it beautiful, the simplistic logic of children? Sometimes it's amazing to think about how things that seem so complicated when we get older are so simple when we are little. You would think it would be the other way around....
This made my heart glow, because i know what it's like to move a lot, and it was hard for me. I wish i had grasped the simple logic that joshua had put forth when i was missing my old homes.
thanks for submitting this, i was pleased to read it.
you know, I am learning that I have many homes these days.
and I love how kids can cut to the chase and tell it like it is. they don't know what wisdom they have or teach at times, the important thing is to listen to what they have to say.
Submission Name: comfort for william
