More often than we realize, children can surprise us, impressing upon us the type of wisdom most adults seem to lack. So when Dr. Alastair McAlpine got tired of seeing so much negativity in the world, he decided to share a few of the beautiful things his young terminally ill patients had shared with him. He posted the comments told to him by dying children between the ages of four and nine who talked about the things that mattered most in life and why it’s worth living. And some of the things these brave kids came up with may surprise you.
Dr. McApline works as a palliative care physician in Cape Town, South Africa, so he has regular contact with people who are near the end of their lives. He tries to make them more comfortable and ease their pain. It did not take long before the children’s responses to McAplines queries went viral on Twitter. These comments touched adults around the world, not only because of their simple wisdom but also because of the heartbreaking reality of the children’s situation. We could all benefit by taking a moment to stop and learn the lessons that these little innocent children have to teach us.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
Here are some of the lessons these children shared.
1. Don’t waste your time on these things.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
2. Be sure to show your pets love every day.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
3. Always let your parents know how much you love them.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
4. Eat lots of ice cream.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
5. Read and share books with the people you love.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
6. Worry less about what others think of you.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
7. Never pass up a chance to go to the beach.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
8. Be kinder.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
9. Don’t let yourself take life too seriously.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
10. Find joy in the smallest of things.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
11. Spend as much quality time with your family as you can.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
Dr. McAlpine concluded his thread with this simple but powerful message.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
You probably already knew about how important most of these things are, but hearing it from these young souls who did not have much longer to live really drives the point home.
Photo: Twitter/Alistair McAlpine
Let’s allow their wisdom to rest at the forefront of our minds and influence the choices we make every day so that we might spend our precious time where it really counts and hopefully inspires more people to do the same.
As the saying goes, from the mouths of babes. You see some of their responses in the video below.
Source: 12 Tomatoes