A few days ago I had the opportunity to share a colloquial episode and a talk with two children, both 13 years old, who reminded me of the P. A. N. model of transactional analysis… “Individual and social psychotherapy system proposed by psychiatrist Eric Berne, who disseminated it with his book Games in which we participate, in the 50s.”
This article is not associated with this theory, but I want to reflect on the curiosity, creativity, spontaneity, fun, etc., that children have when faced with different situations or circumstances. I am going to share both the colloquial episode and the talk….
As you know, I now live in Buenos Aires. A few days ago, Benjamín arrived from the countryside to the capital (to visit his grandfather on vacation), who is Luis’s grandson who supports us on some issues at home. It was pleasant to meet and see Benjamín be amazed when we opened the two-leaf metal gate/carpot that the house has. Immediately, he told me: since you have done it, can I do it?
Now, I am going to comment on the conversation I had with Belén, who, at just thirteen years old, will have to move for the second time to a country different from her own, due to the work of one of her parents. Her face reflected joy. It is going to be fun… meet other friends, another culture, I like this thing of starting from scratch again… the truth is I didn’t know what to answer, it literally left me with my mouth open.
Some lessons that these two moments left me.
- Let us not stop being amazed by the simple and everyday things that life gives us.
- Do not be afraid of what you do not know, face challenges with joy.
- Be spontaneous, sincere, open.
- Be curious, see the good, imitate it and overcome it.
- Find the fun/kind side of all the things that happen to us.
To these simple teachings, but at the same time full of truth, from the episodes shared, I allow myself to add one more: how easy it is for children to forgive.
This last paragraph makes me remember what the French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (author of the book, The Little Prince) says… “All older people were, at the beginning, children, although few of them remember it.”
What do you say? Do you dare to look at life from the perspective of a child?
We are going against the current… let’s leave a better world.
