«But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal» (Matthew 6:20).
Nico was one of my most loved students. With unique sensitivity and creativity, he challenged my capacity to adapt the classes so that he could develop the side that he was so good at and that very often was not combined with the English grammar exercises that are so structured in books. One afternoon, his friends were not there, so as it was very hot, we decided to have class outside. We sat on the porch of the academy and the cool floor kept us going while we completed some assignments.
Since we were both easily distracted, it was hard not to look from time to time at the street and the trees. While he was working, I had been watching some parrots. The racket that flock made was impossible to ignore.
«What are you doing?» he asked me curiously and with the familiarity that united us because we belonged to the same Pathfinder club. We had often seen other birds gather twigs from the ground and fly to the tree above to build their nest, but these parrots flew so far that we lost sight of them. It was true that the tree was not the leafiest or tallest in the world, but we would not have considered it unworthy of a nest. The parrots, apparently, thought differently.
A few months later, I went out late to the small farm that is behind the university church, which in turn, is about three blocks from the academy where we had been seated, and I came across the well-known racket of the parrots. However, this time, I saw them in their nests, in the highest eucalyptus in the area. And then I understood everything.
Perhaps you have questions today for which you have been looking for answers for months, or you have been struggling for years. You may not have spent time observing nature or talking to children or teens for a long time. Both do well. Not having answers for everything also does so.
Perhaps those nests or parrots were not the same, but it made me think that we often forget the importance of choosing our homes well.
Others may not understand our attitude, or it may seem that there are other simpler, more available options, but that should not concern us. Finally, the dilemmas will be resolved. Finally, the choice of our home above will be worth it—and it will also generate a noise that will be hard to ignore.