Know that truth, forgiveness, and love can heal the world.
Don Miguel Ruiz
The little girl holds her Grandmother’s hand as they walk. Her Grandmother had told her that she had something important to tell her, the little girl knows what her Grandmother is going to talk about. When you are little, people think you don’t know, the little girl is eight years old and she knows.
There has always been a special bond between the little girl and her Grandmother. Her Grandmother was the very first human being that touched her when she was being born, because she is a Midwife. Her Grandmother is the Mother of Light, this is what she is called in this little girl’s country. The little girl imagines that when she was born, her Mother of Light had whispered in her ear “I love you little girl, welcome to the world and to our family” this always made Semina smile.
Her Grandmother said “Semina you know that your Father and Mother love you more that anyone in the whole world”
Semina smiled and said “Yes Amma”
“And that whatever they do is not your fault”
Semina had been thinking about this for a long time now, she knew that her Mother and Father were not happy when they were together. She had heard them argue and say that they did not love each other. They did not know that she had heard this, the little girl was so polite that she did not tell them. It is always good to be polite and to smile. But she was worried that if they had stopped loving each other, had they stopped loving her?
She said to her Grandmother “I know, Amma”, she was too polite to tell her that she had been worried about that.
“You and your Mother are coming to live with Afi and me” “Would you like that?”
Semina always loved visiting her Grandparents, their house is a very happy house and many people came to visit.
Her Grandfather let her make things in his carpentry shop, last time she was there he helped her make flower presses.
Semina loves it when her Afi would let her watch him shave, he would put shaving cream on her nose and they would both laugh.
“Will Father also come and live with us?”
“No my dear, your Mother and Father will not be living in the same house any longer, they are getting a divorce”
“A divorce” said the little girl with a questioning voice.
“That is what it is called when people that are married like your Mother and Father stop being married and stop living together “
“Am I getting a divorce from Father?”
“No my dear” said her Grandmother with her comforting voice “You will always be your Father’s little girl, he will always love you, it’s just that you won’t be living in the same house”
Semina smiled, as she looked up into her Grandmother’s gentle blue eyes. Her Grandmother gently squeezed Semina’s little hand and smiled.
Don Miguel Ruiz
The little girl holds her Grandmother’s hand as they walk. Her Grandmother had told her that she had something important to tell her, the little girl knows what her Grandmother is going to talk about. When you are little, people think you don’t know, the little girl is eight years old and she knows.
There has always been a special bond between the little girl and her Grandmother. Her Grandmother was the very first human being that touched her when she was being born, because she is a Midwife. Her Grandmother is the Mother of Light, this is what she is called in this little girl’s country. The little girl imagines that when she was born, her Mother of Light had whispered in her ear “I love you little girl, welcome to the world and to our family” this always made Semina smile.
Her Grandmother said “Semina you know that your Father and Mother love you more that anyone in the whole world”
Semina smiled and said “Yes Amma”
“And that whatever they do is not your fault”
Semina had been thinking about this for a long time now, she knew that her Mother and Father were not happy when they were together. She had heard them argue and say that they did not love each other. They did not know that she had heard this, the little girl was so polite that she did not tell them. It is always good to be polite and to smile. But she was worried that if they had stopped loving each other, had they stopped loving her?
She said to her Grandmother “I know, Amma”, she was too polite to tell her that she had been worried about that.
“You and your Mother are coming to live with Afi and me” “Would you like that?”
Semina always loved visiting her Grandparents, their house is a very happy house and many people came to visit.
Her Grandfather let her make things in his carpentry shop, last time she was there he helped her make flower presses.
Semina loves it when her Afi would let her watch him shave, he would put shaving cream on her nose and they would both laugh.
“Will Father also come and live with us?”
“No my dear, your Mother and Father will not be living in the same house any longer, they are getting a divorce”
“A divorce” said the little girl with a questioning voice.
“That is what it is called when people that are married like your Mother and Father stop being married and stop living together “
“Am I getting a divorce from Father?”
“No my dear” said her Grandmother with her comforting voice “You will always be your Father’s little girl, he will always love you, it’s just that you won’t be living in the same house”
Semina smiled, as she looked up into her Grandmother’s gentle blue eyes. Her Grandmother gently squeezed Semina’s little hand and smiled.
4 Comments:
Beautiful sweet Semina... with a magical fairy tale quality to it and you truly capture the little girl's voice.
Funny thing about my experience with divorce is that for some reason it didn't faze me so much as a child. Well, it did at some level seeing that I barely have any memories of my biological father or of my stepfather whom I thought was my father for the longest time. Those memories are blocked but I have always been thankful that I only had my mother to deal with because more dysfunctional adults in the house would have been too much for me.
But now, the thought of divorce and families breaking up seems so tragic and only through the eyes of mother and wife can I connect to the pain of the child... strange isn't it?
Your grandparents sound delightful. As a child in Denmark I was awful at sewing (which they made us take) and pretty good at carpentry, which I loved... the smell of cut wood and of creating something with it is such an amazing high...
I love learning about your life and your past and thank you for these glimpses into your beautiful soul and into what makes you you!
All my love and muchos besos!
this is a charming telling of a time that might have been incredibley traumatic. it's amazing what a little love and compassion can do to soothe the frazzled nerves of a young girl, isn't it?
my own father died when i was very young, but my mother was fortunate to marry again and for over 45 years my step-father has been nothing short of a miracle in our lives.
of course then i put my *own* children through the pain of divorce--fortunately, my husband (thier step-dad) is also a bit of a "miracle man" who has loved and treasured our sons for over 21 years--and whom they adore. still... no matter how hard you try to ease the pain for a child, it's not always easy, as i'm sure you know only too well.
beautiful post! xox
My dear Miz Bohemia ~I wish you could have had family as caring as mine was and is ~~ I am most fortunate ~~ although there were certainly rough times.
It is not strange that you can see the tragedy of divorse through a Mother's eyes ~~ your heart is one of a caring Mother.
My Grandparents on my Mother's side were amazing people loved by all who knew them.
Dear Neva ~ Yes love and compassion was what helped me and my Mother get through those trying times.
I am sorry to hear that you lost your own Father as such a young age. I like you have the good fortune to have a Step-father who is a caring and loving man. From the time we became a family, he has treated me as his own Dauthter. I was not as fortunate as your sons, I saw little of my Father after the seperation ~~ partly because I went to schools and lived in other countries and he died 20 years ago.
Oh my God, I have to add a link to your page on my blog....I am so glad I catched up. I wouldnæt want to have missed this! You are such talented writer.
I am not a cry baby, but the last line, when the grndmother squeezed her hand tightly...a tear rolled down my chin. It really did!
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