You’re not my Friend.

One of my greatest Blessings is my son Jens (Danish form of James) Christian Immanuel who has just recently turned three years old. He teaches me more than any adult I know. He wants my approval and my Love soo much that if he doesn’t receive it, he is totally heartbroken. If I raise my voice or change it’s tone from normal and calm, then he immediately “goes to tears” and is inconsolable without receiving reassurance and the mandatory hug. Even if it were only in alarm of impending danger, the tears flow, for he thinks I am displeased with him, when in fact I am merely trying to protect him from danger.

About six months ago, he started saying “you’re not coming to my birthday” whenever things didn’t go the way he wanted them to go.

Nowadays if things don’t go the way he wants them to go, he sits on the floor and with his lips pouted and eyes looking up to you from a bowed head, he says, “You’re not my Friend”.

When we raise our voices to adults, more often than not they will simply "zone out" either metaphorically or literally putting their fingers in their ears, cringing in a corner and awaiting the expected explosion.

 
© by Christopher John Petersen