FEATURE
REFLECTIONS : MONKEY SEE , MONKEY DO ?
A
lady in her 80s proudly passed around a picture of her newborn great granddaughter named Rory . When congratulated and told that “ Rory ” could have been derived from “ Aurora , Goddess of the Dawn ” and would bring light and joy to their lives , she smiled with pleasure .
The most precious gifts generations have received through the ages are their children and grandchildren . Handled with care , they pass on ideals , characteristics and ways of doing things that make or break our future world .
Yes , we are talking about that little baby that coos and smiles , loves to be hugged when uncomfortable , gets scared with loud and angry noises . Yes , they learn fast what is acceptable or not from their caretakers and peers as their bodies grow in limberness and grace .
AUTHOR Teresita Bacani-Oropilla , MD
The joy is great - but also the responsibility to mold the future , like clay , with your own hands . When you prosper and find fulfillment in this moral world , they prosper with you . When you are old and feeble , they will shelter you from the loud and scary happenings of your world . They will be there to deal with these when you cannot do it yourself anymore .
So do good things now , while you can , and show them ! For we , like all creatures of this earth learn fast .
Does this hold true , I ask you ? “ Monkey see , monkey do ?”.
Dr . Bacani-Oropilla is a retired pediatrician and child psychiatrist .
SEPTEMBER 2021 25