A Day Earlier

TOMMORROW, my eldest son Yusef will be celebrating his fourth natal day, one day before the actual day entered in his birth certificate. It so happen that Yusef's birthday falls exactly on December 8, a date in the Catholic world that we celebrate as the day of the Immaculate Conception---a day where every catholic school has no classes. He would celebrate it in school this year---for the first time---since in the past years, we celebrate it in some fine place.

I have seen Yusef grow almost by the day and he went from a naughty toddler towards the present where he had gained some level of maturity, and not the crying little kid that he was whenever he doesn't get what he wants. When I was a child, I remember feeling a little spoiled when every time my grandfather fails to give in to my desires. I would wallow in screaming tears until he buys me some toys that I have fancied early in the day. My grandfather would leave me at times to cry without giving in, and that was a lasting image that returns every time my kids act that way.

Now that I am on the other side of the crying game, I am always inclined to give in to my kids as easily mainly because I am aware that as I child, it felt so bad not to be able to get what you desire. This must be bad (giving in to every demands of kids) as every modern parent would tell you. And so, as Yusef grows by the day, I try to give him some cold shoulder every now and then, sometimes letting him cry for hours if only that he may learn that he can't always get what he wanted. I guess my conditioning work quite well now that I see him not being too demanding anymore.

While I drive the kids to school, we would stop by red traffic lights and street children would approach our vehicle. My kids, Yusef and his younger brother Yves, would observe me quite closely as I hand some coins to the outstretched arms of the kids on the streets. Yusef would ask everytime, "Why are you giving them money? Don't they have money?" And then, I take advantage at such opportunity by teaching them some early lessons on charity by saying, "They have no money and nothing to eat. If you grow up, you must give some money to the poor kids. Would you?" Of course, they would answer in the affirmative. I proceed to tell them that they must not squander every coin they have on their hands for many kids their age do not have as much as they do. I could see that they ponder on these things quite seriously that they become silent as we travel the remaining miles towards school.