THE BEDTIME STORY

“Why are you reading a children’s book?” a seven year old daughter asked her father as he replaced a book on the shelf that had the picture of a child on the cover. He replied that it wasn’t a book for children to read but a book about children – all the ways they see and think about the world and then it was time to say good-night. “Oh, you mean like seeing angels?” she said. “Well yes, I guess it could be about things like that,” was the father’s reply since it was a developmental psychology book.

“I see my angel,” she announced matter-of-factly. “Do you see her now?” – Her father slowed his pace out the door for neither he nor his wife had spoken about angels. After about 5 minutes of deep breathing, she calmly said, “I see the angel now.”

“What does your angel look like?” asked her father (professor of psychology at the state University of West Georgia) “She is wearing a blue gown, with a golden crown and golden wings, has a freckle by her left eye, and its like she has makeup on, but she doesn’t; it’s just her. She has a small book in her hand. Not sure what was happening, the father asked if he could speak with her angel. “My angel wants to know why you want to talk with her.”
“I just want to learn about your angel.” A pause as if she checking the answer, and then she said, “OK, My angel knows your angel, they’re old friends.” Still surprised and uncertain about what was happening: the next question was, “What does your angel do?” Her answer flowed out effortlessly like some universal wisdom as I asked how she communicated. She said, “It’s like thoughts and pictures all together.” This did not have the feel of a child’s fantasy but wisdom given with crystal clarity, profound and insightful, not heard from my daughter before. “She tells me I am loved and helps me see things better.” Then she rolled over and went to sleep. The experience of Tobin Hart, Ph.D and submitted to Venture Inwarad, Virginia Beach, Va. (See www.childspirit.net).