My twelve-year-old niece Cary told me how much she appreciated and enjoyed their class recollection activity few days ago. It’s a time where they gathered and reflected about their lives as they will soon graduate from grade school. I was amazed because I only had that experience when I graduated from university! Oh, well, private schools in the city are definitely more advanced (and yes, expensive) than those in public schools in the province where I come from. 
What Cary told me about their retreat was touching because it showed me a glimpse of her heart. Her parents got separated few years ago and I’m sure it must have left a hole in her soul. Our family (like most families) had been through a lot of crises. She grew up seeing most of them.
I am grateful that my sisters and I grew up in a very secure family environment, at least, in most of our younger years. I just feel helpless for my young nephews and nieces to see a lot of mess. I wished I had the power to cover them and protect them from pain. But the world is unforgivingly cruel at times, making us all vunerable. My prayers and wishes for them is that they will grow in grace, love, and hope despite anything.
The facilitators of the retreat talked about being thankful for their friends and families. Cary told me that when they talked about families, almost all of them cried. Some for pure gratefulness, but most of them cried for unspoken pain and longings. Seems like this cute bunch of youngsters already have a lot of emotional baggages!
“Madam told us it’s good and okay for us to cry,” she said.
“Yes, it is. Do you know even Jesus wept?“ I replied.
“They also told us to imagine being alone in the room and God is right there holding us.” I was teary when she said this. I have been praying that God would reveal himself to her and fill her young heart with love and affirmation. I don’t know how, but I know my God can.
”They asked us to list our good and bad attitudes and to keep the page with the good ones, and tear the page with the bad and throw it away,” she added.
“They told us to draw something that describes us. One of my classmates draw a pair of scissors. Another one draw a rocket. Haha!“
“How about you?“
”Oh, clouds.”
“Why?“
“I don’t know. Maybe because clouds look happy. I am happy.”
Oh, may this young child grow up in beauty, faith, love, and purpose.
sweet…:-)