Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Wisdom from a child

I have often said that if you want to have a really profound discussion, talk to a young child, between the ages of 4 and 6 especially.

When we are born, the wisdom of the ages is stamped on our soul. And as children we do not have the filters and all the other stuff that piles onto us through life that buries that wisdom. So, children can readily tap into it at any time without having to clear things away. Here is a story of such wisdom.

The photo is of my daughter Melinda at age 4, with our dog at the time, Spencer! We got Spencer just before Melinda was born and they were together for the first ten years.

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the
experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker' s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What
came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

If you either have a story about children and their wisdom that you would like to share or would like to comment about this story, please feel free to do so. It is through this sharing that we can all learn and grow together.

Thank you for taking the time to read this today. I am blessed that you have chosen to do so.

May you be blessed always and in all ways!

Harry
http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/

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