Story · Ajahn Brahm
Okay darling — I'll help you pack
The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)
Mommy I don't love you any longer I want to leave home a six yearold wanted to leave home you know what mommy did Mommy said good idea darling I'll help you pack your bags this last week's did I told a story okay cuz I I give so many talks I'm getting old now so my memor sometimes go wouldn't I tell this last story I think it was at the retreat so okay darling you can leave home and Mommy went to pack the suitcase for her little kid six-year-old so went to the bedroom got the little kids suitcase and packed all the important things in life like the teddy bear like the PlayStation and other things in little bag and mommy said oh darling before you leave I'll make you something for lunch so the mommy made a sandwich for a kid and the kid carrying the the the sandwich in one hand and her a bag uh suitcase in the left hand in the other hand just a mommy kissed her her son six-year-old at the front door and the kid walked to the end of the Garden Path opened the door and just went off into their life he let the six-year-old leave home and of course you know what the six-year-old did it just got about maybe 50 m past the garden gate when he got homesick turned around came through the garden gate up the Garden Path and mommy was still waiting there welcome home darling
▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 24:35 (to 26:17)
A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)
When her six-year-old announced he was leaving home, a mother helped him pack his teddy, made a sandwich, and kissed him goodbye. Fifty metres later he was homesick, and she was waiting: welcome home, darling. A Singaporean woman laughed; it had happened to her too. Sometimes love means letting them try.
In brief (our summary)
A Perth mother whose six-year-old wanted to leave home packed his teddy and PlayStation, made a sandwich, kissed him at the door; ~50 metres later he came home homesick to 'welcome home darling'. A Singapore counsellor later said the same happened to her — with $20 for lunch and a lift goodbye.
Teaching point
Friendship with a child sometimes means letting them try the door — knowing love will bring them back.
When this story may help
- child testing independence
- arguments with kids
Themes
Source & credit
Told by Ajahn Brahm in Friendship | Ajahn Brahm | 25-11-2011 · 2011-11-26 · ▶ watch from 24:35 to 26:17 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia
4 other tellings of this story
- 4. Present moment - retreat talk Ajahn Brahm · 2013-01-20 · ▶ watch from 36:17 to 36:38 · BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & MediaRetreat present-moment talk: six-year-old leaving home; mum helps pack.
- Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 8 July 2023 · 2023-07-08 · ▶ watch from 1:00:58 to 1:02:10 · Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaJul 2023: mother packs Spider-Man suitcase + lunch; six-year-old lasts ~50m then homesick — kindness not force.
- Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 9 December 2017 · 2017-12-09 · ▶ watch from 14:52 to 15:21 · Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaDec 2017: tantrum 'I'm leaving'; Mum helps pack Spider-Man suit and teddy.
- 4. Not What You Do, But How You Do It - November 2011 · 2012-06-23 · ▶ watch from 36:10 to 38:04 · BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & MediaNov 2011: Perth mother packs teddy and a sandwich, waves him off; he reaches the corner and comes home. Told to a Singapore counsellor who then says the same happened to her (HDB block). Attached to the higher-occurrence 'I'll help you pack' key, not the 2-occ twin.
Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned.
The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version