The most lovely thing happened yesterday at work. School is out and so we have a flux of staff children, including my own, in and out of the office at different times of the day. At one point, we only had one little girl, about six years old. To occupy her, her mother asked if she could play Sally's Spa on my iPad. I said sure. (Why I let children play with my iPad and not my iPhone is somewhat of a conundrum, but that is a story for another time.)
When she got to her mother's office, I heard my BuddhismChants application going instead of Sally's Spa. The child let out the most beautiful giggle I have ever heard in all my life! It was absolutely soul touching. It immediately brought a smile to my heart and my face. Her mother encouraged her to play Sally's Spa instead, but of course the little girl just kept changing the chants and giggling.
The mother told the little girl the chants were like prayers. Giggling continues. Finally, she asked me to come and explain the chants to the child because she didn't know if it was something to giggle at or not. I don't know this child very well, so I didn't do what I really wanted to...hug her tightly, pick her up in my arms and twirl around the room with her, thanking her for her bright soul in my dark world. Instead I stood behind her, pointing to the different chants and told her that chanting was a way to clear the mind, but then so was giggling, and it was OK to giggle. I told her I giggled too sometimes when I chanted. Maybe that was a stretch, but it was what I wanted to say, what I wanted to be true.
The real truth is that sometimes things happen to little girls (and boys) that make them lose that giggle. Things that make their worlds turn dark. Then tears are more frequent than giggles and fear and anger crowd out the bliss. I've spent a lifetime of therapy, prayer, meditation, and medication just to feel "normal" again. There are still times in my life where I feel the dark overcoming the light, but they are less frequent now. What was crystal clear to me in that moment of a little girl's giggles...was that we are born to laugh and live in the light.
It has been my goal to protect my children from those kind of robbers that would steal their giggles, and my wish for all children that we could live in a world free of molesters and abusers. However, I know that is not the world we live in right now, so in the mean time, I will work for peace, both in my own life and in those I come in contact with. I will try harder to laugh and giggle more, like the little girl I was meant to be.
Thank you sweet child, sweet angel. You made me happier than you could have ever imagined. May you continue to giggle and be blissful and bring light to everyone who meets you.





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