Why Kids Are So Good at Reminding Us of Our Mortality
On empty birdcages and oddly profound homework sessions
“The birds from the empty cages probably died,” my five-year-old said to me without a hint of emotion.
Our homework sessions can be challenging at times, but they aren’t typically quite so morbid.
“Circle the birdcages with zero birds,” the instructions said. Before I had even finished reading the words out loud, my son reacted eagerly and began to scratch away at his paper, circling the empty birdcages.
My five-year-old’s spirit is irrepressible. Often too much so. On more than several occasions, I’ve paused in the middle of an argument, standoff, or near nuclear meltdown to reflect that his spirit could use a little pressing. Like, maybe I could just stick that spirit into a panini press and squeeze it back into a more manageable size?
Don’t get me wrong. I love him dearly, and I am constantly in awe of his spirit, curiosity, and kindness. But because I’m a jaded and sometimes melancholy adult, his eagerness and liveliness can be terribly exhausting.
When he was done circling, he looked up and made the remark about the poor birds’ fate.
