Who thought kids could
be deeply philosophical without even realizing that they are being so?
It was a nice calm
evening, neither too warm not too cold, the kind that warrants sitting out in
the patio and reading a book.
My younger child is
clingy, has always been. She would rather follow me all around the house than
sit and play with her dolls. There have been occasions when people wondered if
she had developmental issues with walking since she was always seen attached to
her mother’s hip, literally. Experts in the field believe that once a child
learns to walk, there is no stopping her. She is like the bird who suddenly
discovered the use of her wings and can’t stop flying. Mine defied the experts
by refusing to explore. All the steps she took would lead her back to me. And
so, I do not find it strange at all that it was with my 4 year old that I had
this conversation and not the 8 year old who probably never gave it a second
thought, once her prayers were answered!
Going back to that evening, we sat facing each other, me in a comfortable green arm chair and my
baby in her pink Dora chair, while I read to her. Her big sister was reading
too but chose to remain indoors.
“Where is Didi?” the
younger one interrupts.
“She is upstairs,
inside the house.”
“What is she doing?”
“She is reading a book.”
“Why isn’t she reading
outside with us?"
“She wants to be by
herself.”
“Is she alone upstairs?”
“Yes.”
“Does she like to be
lonely?” (She automatically made the connection alone = lonely).
“Sometimes.”
“Only sometimes? Not
all the time?”
“Yea, only sometimes,
not all the time.”
“Does she want someone
after sometime?”
“I guess so!”
“Was she lonely before I
was here” (‘here’ as in on this earth).
“Yes, she was.”
“Did she miss me? Did
she want me to come because she did not want to be alone?”
“Yes sweetie, she
really really wanted you to be with her. She missed you and prayed every day
for a little sister.”
“She missed me!!! (A
bright smile on her little face as she repeats after me).”
“Maybe I should not
leave her alone right now, she might be missing me”. She ran off inside
leaving me to finish her book.
