Many
(many!) years ago, in a land far away, I discovered The Little Prince.
He
was a curious creature, born of fantasy. His journey was metaphorical. Even
then, I knew his various stops on many small planets with their curious
inhabitants were not to be taken as realistic.
On
his own planet, the Little Prince spoke of Baobab trees. The sound of that,
BA-OH-BAB, made them creatures of fancy, not real things to be found in our
world.
Turned
out I was wrong. Baobabs are real. They grow in Madagascar, where my son served
in the United States Peace Corps until a short time ago. I told him I would
value a photo of him near one of these.
Before
leaving Madagascar, right after his close of service, my son made a point to
travel to where the oldest Baobab in all of Madagascar stands proud. The locals
claim it’s a thousand years old, while arborists say it’s likely seven to eight
hundred. Old enough, either way.
My
son bequeathed his smart phone to a local individual, because he knew it would
be useful to his Malagasy friend. What my son took with him on the pilgrimage
to the old Baobab was a not-very-smart borrowed phone that could only manage
poor photos. But you can imagine that, regardless of quality, the photo is one
I value. It holds a special meaning, joining one of the circles of my life.
My
little Prince communed with a Baobab.
Here
he is with the Old Tree of Mahajanga~
Life continues to be magical even as it is ever real. Maybe especially then.
6 comments:
A treasured photo indeed, but esp. of your son. I wonder about the impact of the Little Prince--it remains a favorite of mine (discovered it as an adult but what a joy to share with my children).
Oh, Mirka, my mind has been on you and your friends in Israel. May the Lord protect your loved ones.
Dear Vijaya, I chose not to post on the war that broke but days ago, because it's an ongoing situation and exceedingly difficult. Prayers and support for the lone Jewish state are deeply appreciated now and always.
Yes, The Little Prince is a favorite of mine also. We actually studied it in my second year French class in college. (That's not what made it a favorite of mine.) I love that your son got you the picture of the oldest baobab tree and one of him with it. How special!
And yes, you and yours are very much in my thoughts and prayers during this awful war. I don't understand how people can be so hateful.
I remember reading Le Petit Prince so long ago. Loved it. And I got to see baobab trees in southern Africa. Amazing beings that they are. How lovely to get the photo from your son and share that joy.
How cool!
What an amazing connection. Thanks for sharing!
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