Saturday 5 June 2010

Through My Son's Eyes



One Sunday, 2010



Now.



I am sitting on the bench on the hill in front of our house. Dad, my little brother Sean and I are eating potato chips together while we drink cocoa. The cocoa that I am drinking, from a mug which Dad made, is warm, it’s flavour mellow and slightly sweet, it’s fragrance soft and gentle. Absolutely delicious.



The vegetable beds were tilled yesterday, and beyond our garden I can see rice paddies, further yet I see hills and forests. I can see far, far into the distance.



Brown soil, green leaves, yellow, pink and pale mauve flowers. The clear blue sky and pure white clouds reflect on the surface of the water in the rice paddies.



The sunlight on the vegetable garden glares brightly, but where I sit now on the bench is dappled with a pattern of shadows from the leaves of the trees.



The harsh voices of a blue heron, flying across the sky, and a white heron, walking through the rice paddy, echo on the gentle breeze.



It may not have been anything special, but I enjoyed it and it’s beauty.



The crumbs of potato chips that have fallen on the ground are being cleaned up for us by the ants. The last mouthful of cocoa is cold, but still delicious.



I am very grateful.





Translated from the diary of Rohan Craig, age 8

  
(The original Japanese can be found on my Mika's blog
Here.  
美果のブログに、この文章の日本語版がここにあります。)   

7 comments:

  1. Oh Rohan...you're growing up so quickly! What a beautiful piece of writing. I wish I'd been there to share a mug of cocoa with you. Love you...

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  2. Beautiful soul! Imagine, this from an 8-year old !

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  3. What a lovely thing to read today. Thanks for sharing this, your son sounds very special!

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  4. Your son has his head in the right place. There is hope for the future yet.
    Regards to you both, Le Loup.

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  5. Just like to echo Le Loup's comment, nothing more to be said.
    John

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  6. Thanks everybody.
    Needless to say I'm very proud of him, as I am of all my children. I have read everyones comments to him and he is as pleased as punch. A good serving of positive reinforcement never goes astray! I have great hope for the future, and gratitude for the present.

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  7. I take Rohan's comments as a challenge to see my own world more clearly--more attentively and appreciatively! I thank him for the beautiful lesson and hope to pass it on, in some way, to my family.

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