This all began when my 5 yr old boy asked this question early this morning, "Mom why do we have souls?"
It was a breezy Monday morning and I was still in bed when Cheb entered the master bedroom just to asked this. The question was not new to me as I have been exposed to different philosophical and metaphysical debates during college days. I couldn't help but be blown away and suddenly I felt trapped that I couldn't think right away of how to give him the right words appropriate for his age. I guess every parent would feel the same way. When your kids ask questions, no matter how you know the answer, you still think of the right words to say it. We often call it, the flowers and bees. Yay! Amazed and sleepy I asked him back why <so I could have more time to think of best explanation> And to my surprised, he added:
"Isn't it our soul came from heaven to make us good and control our actions from doing what is bad? If I do this mom <punching his fist in the air>, this is bad but why does my soul allow my hands to do it?"
Arrgh!!! Is Monday supposed to be this very stressful? Hahaha!
I told him to get his Buzz Lightyear robot. This toy has a button on his back that every time you press it he would say "I am Buzz Lightyear; I come in peace." And of course his ever famous "To infinity and beyond!"And if you press it twice he would say,"This is an intergalactic emergency. I need to commandeer your vessel to Sector 12. Who's in charge here?" or "I've set my laser from stun to kill."
I told him to pull back the battery and turn the robot on. He said, "Mom, he wouldn't walk and the lights on his arms won't turn on." I said "Then put the battery back and then press the button so Buzz could talk. He pressed it several times. I asked him to choose whether he liked Buzz to say nice words or the other way around. He chose both. Kids love to play and try things like they're playing.
"Cheb, listen to me." I started. "We are somewhat like Buzz, we can walk, talk, think, eat, and run and play because we have soul. Soul is our life. Our battery. It is not the soul that controls our action, and our choice from being good and bad. It's our conscience. If BUZZ is a man, his soul is his battery and his conscience is you who pressed his heart <I pointed the button> who chooses whether you want him to say good or bad. Man's conscience lives in his heart. You can always punch your sister on her face but your heart will tell you that it is not right to hurt other people." He was looking at Buzz as I explain things to him.
"So do you understand now?" I kissed his cheeks. He nodded.
"Sorry Buzz, I made you a bad guy. From now on, I will only press your heart once." And he kissed me back and went outside.
Aaaah... MONDAY.
Cheb may sound quite comical but he has a point here. Even us adults, we tend to forget "respect" when we are dealing with kids or people younger than our age. We have this notion that we only have to pay respect to elders and elders are strict to their beliefs that they should receive respect from younger generation no matter what they do because they are "more experienced", "wiser" and "more accomplished". 