walls/newness

Last night Yoshi looked sad. I asked him if he was ok and he said "I am sad."

I asked him if he was sad about anything in particular. He said no. "Sometimes I just get sad."

That I understand, because it often happens to me. But I felt bad. I don't want him to feel sad. I told him, "I don't want you to be sad. Is there anything I can do? Do you want to talk?"

He said "I will be ok. It's ok."

This morning he was still sad. His face told me. I wanted to make his sadness stop, but I felt powerless. I hugged him. Then I realized: it is ok for him to be sad. It is ok when I am sad. Sadness is all around us. It is only fair that everyone should remember that. And I can't stop his sadness any more than he can stop mine. I love him when he is sad, I love him when he is happy, I love him when he is grumpy. It is all ok. And if you try to keep sadness at bay, if you try to put a wall around yourself for protection, those walls will just imprison you.

But I hope his sadness will pass, because sadness is hard. I hope he doesn't feel like I sometimes do, like the walls are closing in.