There is a temptation, especially in public families, to believe that children owe the world something simply by existing. A smile. A reaction. A narrative arc that satisfies curiosity. But childhood is not a contract, and grief is not public property. The demand to see, to know, to interpret does not outweigh the right to be left alone.
He stands, often awkwardly, often silently, in moments the world insists on magnifying. And by refusing to play the role assigned to him, he reminds us of something increasingly rare: that it is still possible to exist without explanation. Continue reading…
