Signs of Compassion

Remember that time when I sobbed in the movie theater while watching Inside Out?

Yeah. Those were the days.

Oh, wait, there was another movie during which I sobbed while sitting in a dark theater. I think it was called Now and Then. There was a scene where this old dude was sitting on a bench all by himself. He reminded me of my dad and it broke my heart.

Anyway!!

This is not about me and my propensity to cry in public while being ‘entertained’ by images projected upon the silver screen.

No.

This is about Olivia and her recent show of compassion.

We just finished watching the Netflix original Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. It is three seasons long and Olivia watched each episode with rapt enthusiasm. We found it when we went looking for something to replace The Goldbergs, which won’t be showing new episodes until late September.

So we wrapped up the series and we headed to bed. As I was getting the wash cloth ready to wash Liv’s face I noticed that her eyes were a little bright, as if with unshed tears.

I asked her if she as okay.

She shook her head.

I asked what was wrong.

She answered me with a question of her own. It was about the time we went and saw Inside Out. She asked me if I remembered crying during that movie.

I told her I did remember and then asked her, “Did the tale of the Bauldelaire children make you sad?”

She nodded, the tears flowing freely now. She struggled to speak past her tears but managed to tell me that the scene where Sunny’s friend, the snake (an actual snake for those unfamiliar with the Series of Unfortunate Events) climbed a tree to get an apple that would cure Sunny of the illness caused by the spores of poison mushrooms.

Sunny ate from the apple and then went on to give her sister and brother a bite of the apple. All three children were saved from the poison.

The kindness of that snake made Olivia cry with happiness.

I cried too.

She’s showing compassion and empathy.

I know that one time when she cried because her sister was sad that Orville had died was an excellent sign that Miss O is capable of empathy but those moments are rare so this show of emotion was a beautiful thing.

Sure, I don’t like her to be sad but she actually wasn’t so much sad as just moved to tears by beautiful storytelling.

I want her to feel the magic of movies and books and to feel the emotion being conveyed through the shows we’re watching and the books we’re reading. I want her to understand and empathize when others are happy or sad or angry or hurt.

I don’t want her to be stuck in her own bubble, filtering the world and all its beauty through the veil of 5p- and however it skews her world.

I don’t know that it does filter things for her but I do know that it affects her ability show her emotions.

That evening as I held her sobbing body and soothed her grief and her happiness, I was so happy for her to have been so touched by a movie. That’s part of what movies are there for, to make us feel, to make us happy and sad and angry and wonder what else is out there beyond our own little corner of the world.

Of course, Alyssa had to suggest, “Maybe she’s PMSing.”

Well…there is that. But I like to think it’s more than just hormones. It’s Olivia waking up, taking a look around and seeing all the world has to offer.