meet itty
Prologue
The other day, my friend asked me:
“Would you like to meet someone very dear to me?”
It sounded like a good idea, and before I had time to reply “Yes!” she added:
“I think that this person I want you to meet will appear very familiar!”
“How well will I feel I know him?” I asked, now a little more curious.
“As well as you know a childhood friend. Being in his company will feel as natural as watching clouds on a summer afternoon.”
I was starting to understand and so I said:
“I am looking forward to meeting your friend.” Then I wondered: “Is he here?”
She told me that he was not here yet, but that she had pictures, letters, and memories from him in her book, and that she would like to share them with me.
So we opened her book.
The other day, my friend asked me:
“Would you like to meet someone very dear to me?”
It sounded like a good idea, and before I had time to reply “Yes!” she added:
“I think that this person I want you to meet will appear very familiar!”
“How well will I feel I know him?” I asked, now a little more curious.
“As well as you know a childhood friend. Being in his company will feel as natural as watching clouds on a summer afternoon.”
I was starting to understand and so I said:
“I am looking forward to meeting your friend.” Then I wondered: “Is he here?”
She told me that he was not here yet, but that she had pictures, letters, and memories from him in her book, and that she would like to share them with me.
So we opened her book.
“This is Itty,” she said, “this is him!”
I saw a little person with big eyes, a small mouth showing a little smile, and a bright visible heart.
I did not know then that his eyes looked big because he always looks on purpose.
In the picture Itty was looking at something very small that I could not distinguish.
I saw a little person with big eyes, a small mouth showing a little smile, and a bright visible heart.
I did not know then that his eyes looked big because he always looks on purpose.
In the picture Itty was looking at something very small that I could not distinguish.
“Itty seems very focused on this one little thing there. Can he remain captivated like that for long?” I asked.
“Yes. But if you ask him, he will say he does not know, because when you are truly focused, your lose the sense of time.” She replied.
“It happens to me sometimes,” I said, “small things like ants, sand, or stars can fill a big space in my day. And sometimes I get in trouble because I forget it is time to come home.”
I was starting to understand what my friend meant when she told me that Itty would seem familiar.
“Sometimes it is something small, but sometimes something very big holds me. Does it happen to Itty?”
“Yes of course,” she replied, “clouds, trees, and mountains can also fill his eyes for a long time.”
“And does the rhythm of the oceans, the symphonies of frogs, the songs of birds and other music fill his ears?”
“They certainly do sometimes.”
“Does he sometimes get completely absorbed in a project? Does he talk to friends throughout the evenings and the nights?”
“Yes, this does indeed happen. Time disappears completely when something or someone fills your heart, your eyes or your ears. And because Itty's heart is so visible, it is easy for it to be touched”
“I am starting to realize that there is a lot that happens to Itty.”
“Yes there is,” she said, “and that is why we have this whole book.”
We were now ready to turn the page. And so we did.
When we turned the page there was a drawing, a self portrait of Itty. A little boy with big eyes, a small mouth showing a little smile, and a bright visible heart.
Above him was a bubble. In the bubble was written "Hi! I am Itty."
“Yes. But if you ask him, he will say he does not know, because when you are truly focused, your lose the sense of time.” She replied.
“It happens to me sometimes,” I said, “small things like ants, sand, or stars can fill a big space in my day. And sometimes I get in trouble because I forget it is time to come home.”
I was starting to understand what my friend meant when she told me that Itty would seem familiar.
“Sometimes it is something small, but sometimes something very big holds me. Does it happen to Itty?”
“Yes of course,” she replied, “clouds, trees, and mountains can also fill his eyes for a long time.”
“And does the rhythm of the oceans, the symphonies of frogs, the songs of birds and other music fill his ears?”
“They certainly do sometimes.”
“Does he sometimes get completely absorbed in a project? Does he talk to friends throughout the evenings and the nights?”
“Yes, this does indeed happen. Time disappears completely when something or someone fills your heart, your eyes or your ears. And because Itty's heart is so visible, it is easy for it to be touched”
“I am starting to realize that there is a lot that happens to Itty.”
“Yes there is,” she said, “and that is why we have this whole book.”
We were now ready to turn the page. And so we did.
When we turned the page there was a drawing, a self portrait of Itty. A little boy with big eyes, a small mouth showing a little smile, and a bright visible heart.
Above him was a bubble. In the bubble was written "Hi! I am Itty."
We stayed looking at the picture for a while. It was simple: One greeting and a three word sentence. Yet it is enough.
I might even add that it is a lot.
As a grown-up person, I usually mention a few more words after a greeting. Silence does not even have time to set-in before I usually say more words. I am not quite sure why. Maybe it is just a habit that made itself a home in my life.
After facing this portrait of Itty saying “Hi! I am Itty.” (and no more), I was starting to understand that using lots of words may not be very necessary.
Itty is.
And if everything you do is be, it leaves you a lot of time to observe ants, watch clouds, listen to birds, or let your heart grow.
If everything you do is be you will always have enough time.
This little person with big eyes, a small mouth showing a little smile, and a bright visible heart was already dear to me and definitely familiar.
I was realizing that Itty knows a lot even if, as I was later to find out, he usually leaves the explanations to very intelligent people so that he, himself, can focus on the experiences and feelings.
“It seems that Itty pays attention to what is around him!” I said, “does it seems so to you too?”
My friend replied: “It would be more accurate to say that Itty gives attention to what is around and to who is around him.”
“Itty knows that, like you and me, he can only be at one place at a time. That is why he lives fully every moment.”
“How does Itty know that?” I asked.
“I do not know. I am a little like Itty,” she said, “so I would have to ask a very intelligent person. But I believe that we all know that offering attention is absolutely the most important thing.”
I could feel in my heart that it is true. So I repeated it:
“Giving attention is absolutely most important.”
And since we have now covered the absolutely most important things, we can start with the beginning.
I might even add that it is a lot.
As a grown-up person, I usually mention a few more words after a greeting. Silence does not even have time to set-in before I usually say more words. I am not quite sure why. Maybe it is just a habit that made itself a home in my life.
After facing this portrait of Itty saying “Hi! I am Itty.” (and no more), I was starting to understand that using lots of words may not be very necessary.
Itty is.
And if everything you do is be, it leaves you a lot of time to observe ants, watch clouds, listen to birds, or let your heart grow.
If everything you do is be you will always have enough time.
This little person with big eyes, a small mouth showing a little smile, and a bright visible heart was already dear to me and definitely familiar.
I was realizing that Itty knows a lot even if, as I was later to find out, he usually leaves the explanations to very intelligent people so that he, himself, can focus on the experiences and feelings.
“It seems that Itty pays attention to what is around him!” I said, “does it seems so to you too?”
My friend replied: “It would be more accurate to say that Itty gives attention to what is around and to who is around him.”
“Itty knows that, like you and me, he can only be at one place at a time. That is why he lives fully every moment.”
“How does Itty know that?” I asked.
“I do not know. I am a little like Itty,” she said, “so I would have to ask a very intelligent person. But I believe that we all know that offering attention is absolutely the most important thing.”
I could feel in my heart that it is true. So I repeated it:
“Giving attention is absolutely most important.”
And since we have now covered the absolutely most important things, we can start with the beginning.