Dec 13, 2008

conversations with my kids: love

A brief glimpse into conversations with my sons. This one is with my five-year old, Daniel.

------ Two weeks ago ------

Daniel: I love you dad, and I will always love you. Even if I go to heaven before you, I'll still love you. Or if you go before me, we will still love each other.

Tony: That's absolutely right.

Daniel: And we also need to love our enemies.

Tony: You're right, buddy.

Daniel: Because we need to love them. Maybe that way they'll stop being our enemies.

Tony: That's the plan.


------ Today ------

Daniel: Dad, I'll always love you. No matter what.

Me: I'll always love you no matter what.

Daniel: And I'll always love everyone, especially you and mom and Joshua.

Me: And we...

Daniel: Dad, why are we supposed to love our enemies?

Me: Well...

Daniel: It doesn't work.

Me: (pause) Sometimes it doesn't. Other times it does. I've loved some people in my life who were sort of like enemies, and some of them realized it and others didn't. It's not always about whether it works, but whether or not we'll do what's right even when others don't.

Daniel: Hm. Okay.

1 comment:

Thurman8er said...

Oh man. That's beautiful.