We previously tackled the idea that life principles, values, virtues and concepts are shaped and inherent and become a lifestyle since childhood so that our children will grow up with a positive character that knows how to be happy and how to make others happy. I’d like to clarify an important issue that some and may be a lot of people think that children will learn giving when they grow up and that if they learn anything in their childhood, they will not cause any change to those around them. They claim that change is made by mature grownups who learnt from their experiences in life. However, I thinks is so far from truth as the children’s innocence, simplicity and honesty can be the reason for people to change.
Tana is a little girl whose age is under five years. She saves her family from being dysfunctional when she asked her mother to try her best to get closer and solve the dispute with her father, saying, “If I can act nicely to people, then I think all of us can do too” Then she offered an alert in simple words about the destiny of humanity if many of us, humans, turned into beasts, ” “beasts will definitely eat them, there will be no kind people, only beasts, I want all people to act as humans (humanely)”.
Ella, the eight-year-old girl owns a golden heart full of love, affection and intimacy toward all people. She never hesitates to lend others a helping hand as much as possible; I don’t mean helping her parents at home only, but she goes far. One day she was sitting at a restaurant with her father. When food was served, she did not eat from it but rather was busy thinking of the homeless man sitting outside the restaurant. Immediately, she took her food and left the restaurant in a rush. At this moment her father took the camera feeling so curious about what his daughter had intended to do. The little girl offered her food to the homeless man who looked astonished at the girl, but he rested when he glimpsed a smile drawn on her father’s face. The man took the food and at e it as if he had not eaten from weeks. The father asked the girls, “Why did you give your food to the man?” “It seems that he needs food more than I need it. He has no food, money or shelter. But I have much of them”, she answered. Hence her father said in a loud voice knowing how big his daughter’s heart was, “Great job, Ella. You are wonderful. You made him happy”. The story of Ella did not end at offering food to a needy person, but…..
To be continued…
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
