The Japanese are fond of...
Illustration
The Japanese are fond of cultivating Bonsai trees: dwarf trees that stand no more than a
foot or so in height. Bonsai trees don't grow that way naturally. The Bonsai artist
deliberately stunts their growth by taking a pair of scissors and snipping through their
taproot. This forces the tree to rely only on its shallowest roots, the ones that grow just
below the surface of the soil. Although Bonsai trees may be decades old, they will never
grow any taller. Among the Japanese, they are deeply treasured.
Some parents "treasure" their children in much the same way. They treasure their children not in their hearts, but instead they seek to hold onto them, preventing them from growing up emotionally. Perhaps the greatest gift a mother -- or a father, too, for that matter -- can give to a child is freedom, when the time is right.
Some parents "treasure" their children in much the same way. They treasure their children not in their hearts, but instead they seek to hold onto them, preventing them from growing up emotionally. Perhaps the greatest gift a mother -- or a father, too, for that matter -- can give to a child is freedom, when the time is right.
