A child is trying to climb a tree; what will we do? We immediately become afraid – he may fall, he may break his leg, or something may go wrong. And out of our fear we rush and stop the child.
If we had known what joy it is to climb a tree, we would have helped so that the child could learn how to climb trees! And if we are afraid, let’s help him, go and teach him. We also climb with him! Help him learn so he doesn´t fall. Our fear is good – it shows love, that the child may fall, but to stop the child from climbing the tree is to stop the child from growing. There is something essential about climbing trees. If a child has never been doing it, he will remain in some way poor; he will miss some richness – for his whole life. We deprive him of something beautiful, and there is no other way to know about it! And once in a while, falling from a tree is not so bad either. Rather than being deprived forever.
Or, the child wants to go out in the rain and wants to run around the streets in the rain, and we are afraid he may catch a cold or get pneumonia or something – and our fear is right! So let us do something so that he is more resistant to colds. Take him to the doctor; ask the doctor what vitamins should be given to him so that he can run in the rains and enjoy and dance and there is no fear that he will catch cold or will get pneumonia. But we shouldn’t stop him. To dance in the streets when it is raining is such a joy! To miss it is to miss something very valuable.
If we know happiness and if we are aware, we will be able to feel for the child, how he feels.
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