MY SON IS FOUR YEARS OLD, FOUR MONTHS MINUS TWO DAYS, I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT HIS SIZE OR HIS EXTERIOR, JUST LOOK AT HIM; HIS HEALTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD, BUT EVEN IN THE CRADLE WE REALIZED THAT HIS NERVES WERE VERY DELICATE AND THAT THE SLIGHTEST EXTRAORDINARY NOISE HAD AN EFFECT ON HIM; IT WAS LATE FOR HIS FIRST TEETH, BUT THEY CAME WITHOUT DISEASES OR ACCIDENTS; IT WAS ONLY IN THE LAST ONES, AND I THINK IT WAS IN THE SIXTH, THAT HE HAD A CONVULSION IN FONTAINEBLEAU; SINCE THEN HE HAD TWO, ONE IN THE WINTER OF 1987 OR 1988 AND THE OTHER IN HIS INOCULATION, BUT THE LATTER WAS VERY SMALL.
THE DELICACY OF HIS NERVES MEANS THAT A NOISE TO WHICH HE IS NOT ACCUSTOMED ALWAYS FRIGHTENS HIM; FOR EXAMPLE, HE IS AFRAID OF DOGS BECAUSE HE HAS HEARD THEM BARKING NEAR HIM.
I HAVE NEVER FORCED HIM TO SEE THEM, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT AS HIS REASON COMES, HIS FEARS WILL PASS; HE IS LIKE ALL STRONG AND HEALTHY CHILDREN VERY DIZZY, VERY LIGHT AND VIOLENT IN HIS ANGER, BUT HE IS GOOD CHILD, TENDER AND EVEN CARESSING, WHEN HIS CARELESSNESS DOES NOT PREVAIL; HE HAS A DISPROPORTIONATE SELF-ESTEEM THAT BY DRIVING HIM WELL CAN TURN ONE DAY TO HIS ADVANTAGE; UNTIL HE IS COMFORTABLE WITH SOMEONE, HE KNOWS HOW TO TAKE ON HIMSELF AND EVEN DEVOUR HIS IMPATIENCE AND ANGER TO APPEAR SWEET AND KIND; HE IS VERY FAITHFUL WHEN HE HAS PROMISED SOMETHING, BUT HE IS VERY INDISCREET, HE EASILY REPEATS WHAT HE HAS HEARD, AND OFTEN WITHOUT WISHING TO LIE HE ADDS TO IT WHAT HIS IMAGINATION HAS SHOWN HIM, IT IS HIS GREATEST FLAW, AND ON WHICH HE MUST BE CORRECTED.
MOREOVER, I REPEAT, HE IS A GOOD CHILD, AND WITH SENSITIVITY AND AT THE SAME TIME FIRMNESS, WITHOUT BEING TOO SEVERE, WE WILL DO WITH HIM WHAT WE WANT, BUT THE SEVERITY WOULD REVOLT HIM, BECAUSE HE HAS A LOT OF CHARACTER FOR HIS AGE; AND, TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, FROM HIS EARLIEST CHILDHOOD, THE WORD PARDON HAS ALWAYS SHOCKED HIM; HE WILL DO AND SAY WHATEVER WE WANT WHEN HE IS WRONG, BUT THE WORD PARDON HE SAYS ONLY WITH TEARS AND INFINITE SORROWS.
MY CHILDREN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING GREAT SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN WRONG, TO TELLING ME THEMSELVES, IT MAKES ME LOOK MORE UPSET AND SADDENED BY WHAT THEY ARE DOING THAN ANGRY; I HAVE ACCUSTOMED THEM ALL TO THE FACT THAT A YES OR NO PRONOUNCED BY ME IS IRREVOCABLE, BUT I ALWAYS GIVE THEM A REASON WITHIN THEIR AGE RANGE, SO THAT THEY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS MOOD ON MY PART.
MY SON CAN’T READ AND LEARNS VERY BADLY; BUT HE’S TOO DIZZY TO APPLY HIMSELF, HE HAS NO IDEA OF THE HEIGHT IN HIS HEAD, AND I WANT IT TO CONTINUE. OUR CHILDREN ALWAYS LEARN WHAT THEY ARE EARLY ENOUGH.
HE LOVES HIS SISTER VERY MUCH AND HAS A GOOD HEART: WHENEVER HE IS PLEASED WITH SOMETHING, EITHER TO GO SOMEWHERE, OR TO BE GIVEN SOMETHING, HIS FIRST MOVE IS ALWAYS TO ASK FOR HIS SISTER AS WELL; HE WAS BORN GAY, HE NEEDS TO BE OUTDOORS A LOT FOR HIS HEALTH, AND I THINK IT IS BETTER TO LET HIM PLAY AND WORK ON THE GROUND, ON THE TERRACE THAN TO TAKE HIM FOR A WALK FURTHER: THE EXERCISE THAT SMALL CHILDREN TAKE WHEN RUNNING AND PLAYING IN THE AIR IS HEALTHIER THAN FORCING THEM TO WALK, WHICH OFTEN TIRES THE KIDNEYS..