Must go to bed... but before I do...

Feb 03, 2008 - 13:52 PM PST

... I just wanted to say what a nice time I had babysitting for my friend's just turned 7 year old son. I always enjoy it, and even more that time has passed and we have got through the early stages of his negativity towards my speaking English a lot with his mum (which he didnt understand). There are so many things I should jot down that children I know and have known through my work and friends have said... But I am not going to regret not having done so, and start now... Anyway, it was in German what he said last night before going to bed, but how he said it was just so I cant explain... I was talking about his teddy bear with him and how he still has it (not in a negative way) and he was saying how he still likes to have it... I said how I still have mine from when I was young... he said he didnt think that he would need it when he was an adult... and then he said that i live alone and that is probably why (i do) and then at some point said 'but we are all alone really, but when you have family then you are at least together with them' I dont feel im doing justice to what he said, and he has said things before which have touched me, and well this also touched me... it was so natural the way he said it and was not as if he had heard it from anyone, but had thought it himself...

the next morning when his parents were still sleeping he was so kind as to share half of his semmel (an austrian white bread roll) with me... again the way he asked was so simple and nice... i could tell he would have liked to eat it all, but it was just a natual generosity...

some things are difficult about working with children and i have learned a lot since doing so, but moments like these are ones that bring such a happy feeling and last forever (to sound very cliched...) its just like you see a moment of everything that is good about the world.. or more so humans....