Dear Friends,
Last Shabbat afternoon, I was sitting on my couch, reading a long and exhausting book, when my daughter Chaya walks in to the living room suddenly, crying: “Levi took my doll…” I try to calm her down, but she announces to me: “I’m not going to be Levi’s friend anymore..”
30 seconds later I go to their room in order to calm everybody down, but they’re already playing and laughing together like best friends.
Nu, an everyday occurrence, that happens almost a million times a year.
But this time it got me thinking. When an adult comes to me and says: “Listen, Mr. X did this and this to me, and I hate him.” Usually, even if 10 years have passed, and by mistake they meet on the street, they would immediately cross to the other side of the street. Because they hate each other.
For some reason with children it is different. When a child explains that he “hates” his friend, a few minutes later they can already play together again, as if nothing ever happened.
What is the difference?
The answer is, that children, unlike adults, would rather be happy than to be right.
I’m still thinking about this, when I get sort of a “proof” to my thoughts. Chaya comes to me again and says: “ Abba, I love Levi”.
A quick thought passes my mind: I’m not even sure that I am the educator in the house, just at that moment I felt that I was the one being educated…
Rivky and the children join me in wishing you shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Chaim
Rolf Koch wrote...
Wonderful story. Greetings to Chaya - and to Levi and Zalmy too, of course.