26 April 2010

the beginnings of sainthood


Have I already mentioned here that I just love, simply luuuuhv my son's bestfriend E? Apart from the fact that he looks adorable, he also has the heart of a saint. I know I wrote days ago that he has this heart-warming "motherly" way of loving my son, but he surprised me again recently about his generosity. Last time I checked, kids this age still wallow in their "reptilian rationality"--territorial, and highly self-regarding--in plain english, they tend to forget their best friends especially when before a yummy doughnut with chocolate topping.

I thought that this would apply to E when he came to our home one play afternoon, carrying with him a doughnut from his mom. Since there was only one, I tried to prevent a "me-too" crying scene by making sweet butter sandwich for my little one. After setting everything up on the table, E asked me to slice his doughnut. Again, the individualistic-modern-steeped-world brain that I had simply interpreted his request as that of a child who wanted his doughnut cut down to bite-size pieces for his own sake.

And then! And then he gestured to give the other half I sliced to my little one.

While watching them eat their meryenda, I took a step back to marvel at what I had just witnessed. I was there when E randomly left his mom's hand to come home with us. I don't recall his mom telling him anything about sharing his food. So I thought that that act came as second nature to that boy.

I'm simply in awe of the way his parents are raising him.

So this means that thinking beyond oneself starts earlier than many of us have been misled to think.

Hmmm, this makes me say that the Filipino expression, "Hayaan mo lang silang maging bata" needs to be re-thought. I don't think it should be read as: Children are naturally selfish. Let them be.

No. Here I learned that we should never underestimate the goodness that children are capable of. Never.

1 comment:

ruthietheotaku said...

this E is adorable hehehe