Lullaby

I used to sing this song to my son, at bed time. Not always. Mostly when his mother was out of the country. Not always then, either. You might think I was wrong to do it. Maybe you'd be right. But we can't avoid grief, or the pain of separation. Feelings are for feeling. And I was there.

Fairytale is a strange word. Because they're hardly ever about fairies. They're really horror stories. Mine is probably the last generation that was told these dark frightening stories as a regular part of childhood. Yes, I think they are necessary. By hearing of such things, they can be processed. We protect children, in part, by preparing them for how the world really is. If we shield them from all pain, we do them a profound and crippling disservice.

Pretending is a kind of lie. Do you lie to your kids? For shame. It is an evil thing. Tell them the truth.

Yeah. I got yer truth right here.


J