published 20.09.2010

What is happiness?

Recently I’ve decided to ask my children what happiness is. Their answers fascinated me again.

 

 

 

Vasya.

-Zhenya, when will the mother come?

- Soon… (silence). Vasya, do you know what happiness is?

-Yes, I do. Happiness is mother.

-Are you happy here?

-Yes, I am.

-When will you be happy?

- It will be soon.

 

Rustam.

-Rustic, do you know what happiness is?

-No, I don’t (He is smiling).

-But you have been happy, haven not you?

-Of course, I have.

-And how it was?

- When I want to be happy, I create happiness for myself. Also happiness is when you are smiling (He is smiling).

-You often smile.

-Yes (We are looking at each other and smiling).

 

Yura.

We are blowing the bubbles sitting in the swing.

- Zhenya, do we have a holiday today?

-Yes, Yura, we do. Yura, and do you know what happiness is?

-Yes, I do. Happiness is happiness. Happiness is birthday. It is bubble blower. Happiness is when we are walking.

-And do you know what unhappiness is?

-No, I don’t.

-And I don’t know.

I love them.

Published on 06.08.10

The main news of the last month is that Sasha (autistic, who doesn’t communicate even with the children) started to open to me harshly and unexpectedly. After our standard dialog: “Kiryusha watched “The Shurik’s Adventures” (it repeats infinitely with the different intonations) he looked at dandelions and said: “Zhenya, weave a wreath for me…”

I thought it seemed to me and I asked again, but he repeated his wish. We began to pick up dandelions and Sasha sang a cheerful song, it also he did for the first time. When I was weaving a wreath for him, he was staring into the distance reflectively and few minutes later asked me:

-“Zhenya, when will you go home?” I freezed.

-I can be with you until lunch, but if you are tired, we can go to the group.

-No, I don’t want to the group! Don’t go home.

We have talked a little more and I promised that we will go for a walk again for sure. He jumped up, took my hand and we were running and laughing together full of happiness that we have finally found understanding. Perhaps, this day was one of the happiest and most significant during my work in a boarding school. Now Sasha lets me to brush his teeth while nobody else can do it. When I disembarrass him from the group it’s a little holiday for both of us. Sasha runs along the corridor and shouts: “Zhenechka, Zhenechka, Zhenechka!” I can’t imagine the greater prize than his eyes lighting with pleasure.