If I grew up with Ricky, I’d be a buffoon. But I am glad my parents never insisted I score high marks in school. They were content if I merely passed my exams, and I could play the whole day without guilt.
Today, however, things are different.
I hoped to see Ricky’s childish behavior, but he was grave; he spoke and ate like the grown-ups. I asked him what he loves to eat, and was happy when he exclaimed his love for mangoes.
Suddenly, however, I worried maybe Ricky is like an artificially ripened mango where Calcium carbide reduced the juice content. On the other hand, a naturally ripened mango not only contains more juice, but it’s also healthier. Likewise, when children comment on North Korea’s nuclear program, the fluid of their lives is sucked out of their system; children, who grow up as children, would cry when they feel like, and laugh and play when they want. The foundation of their future emotional growth is the experiences of catching frogs or playing the games Tom Sawyer played in his courtyard. Interestingly, Mark Twain confessed he wrote his famous novels more for adults because they often forget what it is to be a happy child; they need to remember what they once were themselves, and what they felt and thought.
Let’s not snatch away the precious years of our children. Let’s remain assured that one day when your child stops asking you how babies appear you would know for sure he is growing up!
