Blissful Innocence

 

On our way home from work + kids' school yesterday evening, we had to stop at a traffic light.

A common sight at these places are the young + old men / women loitering or patiently waiting on the sidelines, all their senses alert for  the right opportunity to move in and  ply their trades between the long train of cars waiting for their cues to move. 

The traffic light is an ally as the red light signify the time to swing in and obtain money from the motorists. And this they do so well.

Some are really in need while some could actually support themselves through some other dignifying means. Or so it appears to me.

But I digress.

So we stopped and two people swiftly appeared beside our car, a blind young girl and a man -presumably the father. 

"Mummy, what do they want?"

"Money".

"Why?"

"Because they are poor, they need it."

"What is the meaning of poor?"

"It means to not have the things you need or want...home, food, clothes, money, etc."

"Ok"

"Can they not just go to the ATM to get money?" (We just stopped at an ATM a few minutes back)

"I don't think so because If you don't have money in the bank, then you cannot get money from an ATM machine"

"Maybe they are hungry and need food."

"Yes."

"Maybe they need the money to buy food."

"Yes "

"Do they have house?"

"I'm not sure but they should have somewhere they sleep."

"Ok."

Yellow. Green. Move.

I started moving.

"Mummy, stop now."

"I can't, the light has turned to green and other cars are behind us. We cant stay here and delay other people. Ok?"

"But mummy, I want you to turn back." (Ogini?)

"Why?"

"I want us to take them to our house.". Lobatan!

"Why?"

"They are hungry and we have food at home. Let's take them in our car and take them home with us."

His voice went up a notch higher. Close to tears.

My oh my. 

Sensing a storm, I quickly swung into explanatory+cajoling mode.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine. They got some money already"

"No, they still need food"

"But we can't take them home. You don't just pick people or strangers in your car and take them to your house."

"It's not right and it's not safe too because they may not like it and you may end up being the worse for it. There are some bad people out there who pretend to need help but don't. Now I'm not saying they were pretending (pretty much contradictory, right?...and I hate to burst your bubble...)...but If you take every body you meet on the street home, where are you going to keep them?

"You know if you really want them to be fine, pray for them tonight before you sleep and God will take cake of them more than we ever can"

The heart of kids. Well-meaning hearts. So pure. So innocent. So trusting. So beautiful. Full of curiosity.

Little wonder the bible says "...for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these". (Matt 19:14)

They don't know the world is both good and bad,  a mix of kind and scary people ojuju.

Isn't it a good thing to always see the world through their eyes? 

Their innocence is so genuine and real, devoid of all forms of pretense and scheming. Always so positive and full of anticipatory excitements. They are not hampered by pre-conceived notions borne out of experiences and are always sincere in their beliefs and expressions. 

Spontaneous and true.

How beautiful would it be to capture these moments of total innocence and preserve them forever.

How wonderful would it be for the youth and innocence to stay forever so but time would have to stand still for that to happen. It's a reality I have to face, sadly.

The truth is our lives are enriched by these wonderful beings who would soon grow up to be like us, hopefully better. 

The things they say and do sometimes put things in proper perspective for me, I usually get the back-to-earth thud whenever I'm lost in the present realities. 

Childhood is indeed a gift which every parent get to relieve and enjoy as our own childhood are long gone with the memories swallowed up in the rigors of daily living and subsistence.
But when we look at them, we have the privilege of living again. In them. Through them. 

They give us this wonderful gift of seeing things and living through their eyes and this form a part of who we are and become. 

They can really make a very bleak day bright with their innocent view of things, transforming the world to become a better place for us all.

They remind us of how the world should be and of our obligations to humanity -like nurturing and providing for them and those needy ones we often bypass in our haste to keep up with the rat race.

God bless every little and innocent heart out there.