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I Want to Have Children

I have this small tradition which started when my brother, who is 21 years younger, was born. Every birthday I give him two gifts, one is an age appropriate gift the other is a book for him when he's older with a small message inside. I remember that on his first birthday I got him Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. The idea is that when he's a grown man he will already have gathered a small library.

If I have kids I'm going to do that all over again. Satre when he get's his first teeth, Nietzsche when he learns to walk, Camus when he begins to ask why all the time, Eça de Queiroz when he goes to school for the first time, Camões when he gets his first crush.

Then one day he'll hopefully open to read it and see my message "You were a real pain this year!"

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JosephinaBallerina

I have so much love for this story, it's oozing out of me slowly like tree sap. I have a few observations: (1) expect a great many responses from the female variety; men talking about wanting kids makes our wombs excitable (2) kids never stop asking why; I'm still shouting Camus, Alexander, and Bachelard at the teenager and imagine I will still be doing it when he has his own children (3) you have exceptional taste, although I tell you that quite often (4) did Camões say something about love being a fire that burns unseen? Portugal's Shakespeare, yes? (5) traditions are hugely important within a family environment.. and when you have none to pass down, it's just as important to start your own (6) you, my darling, are going to be an exceptionally wonderfully daddy.

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JosephinaBallerina

Ah, I remember my first crush. How many stanzas? I think I might want to read it.

EuphoricTurtle · 41-45, M

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32528/32528-h/32528-h.htm

there you go, translated into english

JosephinaBallerina

You're an angel. This will keep me busy in bed tonight.

legnoguado

This is so great! Did you come up with this idea? According to Guinness, this was the first time a one-year-old received "The Metamorphosis" as a gift. I also learned that it's actually illegal to give Kafka to children in 13 countries.

EuphoricTurtle · 41-45, M

It's just an extension of the concept of the "gift that keeps on giving". I had no idea Kafka was still so controversial, I think his 'Letter to his Father' is pretty good reading for an adolescent child.

legnoguado

I was just playin', lol, as far as I know nobody's banned Kafka. I hate it when people try to ban books - I've heard of folks trying to ban "Charlotte's Web," for example, which I loved as a child, and still do.

EuphoricTurtle · 41-45, M

I have that VHS tape and watched it dozens of times. Every time Charlotte died I freaking cried like a baby

y2kalmeida

Let's hope your kids like to read lol

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