Play Nice

Late in the afternoon, when I was on my way home, I got on this jeepney with two kids, probably brothers, who kept on arguing over a drink. One was teasing him for not pronouncing the drink right (probably the older of the two), while the other kept on asking for a sip. Sure they were fighting over it, but I never saw one of them hit the other, nor say anything mean or hurtful. And in the end, the older one let the younger kid have a go at it. Childish, yes, but a whole lot better than when grown-ups fight.

Sometimes, grown-ups are a lot worse when fighting. We hurt each other in ways kids can't even understand fully yet. We say things that go deeper than any knife could ever go, leaving wounds that Band-aid can never patch up. We hurt others a lot worse than the worst scraped knee we ever got, and no kiss could ever make it go away. But what's even worse than that is to hurt someone without even lifting a finger nor uttering a single sound, and without even knowing who and how we did so.

And what's saddening is that we sometimes hurt those we vowed never to hurt. We leave those we promised to be with. We push away those we once held onto. We grow selfish and possessive that separation is the only means of freedom, like a small bird being held tightly in one's hand. A sad truth that leaves us to wonder if being all grown up was a sad realization that we are more prone to being hurt and hurtful. We exhibit a trait only to be considered normal for a five-year-old child. Childish, but never cute.

So let go of those petty arguments that know no end, and play nice. Remember your kindergarten days, where the only rules are:

1. Play nice

2. Never hurt anyone

3. Say sorry when you do

Or, at least that's what I think they were.