The stage is common, the scene is simple. An old man is sitting with a young man on a bench at their home's yard.

The young man is focused reading the newspaper. The old man seems to be immerse on something indefinable.

Then, a small bird lands on a bush nearby and starts singing. The man seems to wake up and asks:

What is that? -  Pointing at the small bird.

The young man looks at it and briefly says: It is a sparrow.

The small bird jumps from a branch to another and the question comes up again: What is that?

The answer now is not only brisk, but also upset: I have already said, it is a sparrow.

The bird flies again to another branch, continuing its morning dance.

What is that? - The question is heard again.

Now the young man gets upset and almost shouts: It is a sparrow!

The happy bird continues its dance. It takes off and seems to disappear. A few seconds later, it comes back to the ground, pecking and jumping around.

The man brings his hands to his eyes, as if he wanted to focus his blurry view and asks with natural curiosity:

What is that?

The son shouts back: It is a sparrow! I have already told you, it is a sparrow.

And spells out loud: S-P-A-R-R-O-W. Don't you understand?

The old man stands up, goes up the stairs and slowly but decidedly enters his house. A few minutes later he comes back with an old journal in his hands.

The cover is beautiful, showing that it had been kept with great care, as if it kept treasures inside.

He opens it, searches for something, and then gives it to the young man, who is still upset and nervous.

Read it! He asks. And adds: Loudly.

There is surprise on the young man's face as he reads it slowly and with increasing emotion:

Today my youngest son, who has just turned 3, was sitting with me at the park when a sparrow landed in front of us.

My son asked me 21 times what it was and I answered him 21 times that it was a sparrow.

I hugged him every time he repeated the question, without getting upset, I was feeling affectionate for my innocent boy.

Then, the son looks at his dad, with guilt and pain in his soul.

He hugs him, tearful and kisses his face with a beard yet to be made.

He gets closer and pulls his dad towards him. And so they stay, listening to each others' hearts.

*  *  *

Scenes like this happen every day in thousands of homes around the world.

Our elderly, some with Alzheimer, some with other diseases which affect their memory, keep asking and asking.

Their recent memories fail. Attached to memories from the past, they do not understand why they are yelled back after a question.

Let us think about this! And if our eyes become full of tears, we shall not be embarrassed to embrace our old dad, mom, grandmother, granddad, godmother, aunt... Let us do it right now.

Spiritist Moment Team based on the short film What is that?
by Constantin Pilavios, from the Movie Teller Films.
July 6.2009.