"There was once a boy named Nikolai who sometimes felt uncertain about the right way to act." He wanted to be a good person, but was unsure how to accomplish his goal. Nikolai had three important questions...
- When is the best time to do things?
- Who is the most important one?
- What is the right thing to do?
"If only I could find the answers to my three questions, then I would always know what to do." Nikolai, asked his three best friends, Sonya the Heron, Gogol the Monkey,and Pushkin the Dog, the three questions. Unfortunately he got conflicting and confusing advice from his friends. Recognizing their limitations in advising him, Nikolai sought out the advise of the wise old turtle Leo. "He has lived a very long time. Surely he will know the answers I am looking for". The turtle never answers him directly, but when a storm comes up and two Panda bears are in danger, Nikolai dashes to their aid without a thought for himself. In his action to help the bears, he finds answers. This is a gentle tale, told well. Muth's illustrations are graceful and elegant, and beautifully enhance the many moods of the story. Based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy, who is probably best-known for War and Peace and Anna Karenina, The Three Questions succeeds in getting children to think of being in of service to others, and to realize that, contrary to what advertisers would have us believe, life isn't about getting; it's about doing.*
In pondering the three questions, Nicolai became transfixed on finding meaning based on what seemed most relevant to him. In doing so, he became focused on himself. When Leo, the old turtle, became tired working on his garden, Nicolai offered to take over, sparing the old turtle the burden of digging with the heavy shovel, and when the Panda's were found to be in danger, Nicolai sprung into action to rescue the bears. In doing all this, he found great satisfaction and tranquility within himself. The three questions, on which he'd been previously transfixed, disappeared into the mist of his contentment. In helping others, the questions about himself no longer mattered. 
It's a wonderful book. I was just chatting with my sister Amy and she told me that she has it for her girls. Here's Amy (she's going to kill me for this!).
The moments and periods of my life when I've felt the most alive and connected to my rightful place in the universe have been when I've offered myself in service to others. When I'm making breakfast for Carla or her couch surfers, when I'm teaching photography to my students in Vermont, when I'm babysitting my nieces, and especially many years ago when I was nurturing and caring for my own children. The act of service is so central to the core of my identity. When I'm connected to others through service, I excel. The times when I've felt that my service was being squandered and not contributing to improving the condition of the planet, I've felt "out of sync". A good example of this is when I worked in the automobile business. If I did a good job, the owner of the dealership might be able to acquire a nicer collection of snowmobiles - not my idea of contributing to the greater good. In finding the right place to serve, where I'm needed most, I will have found my home. Of this I am certain.
Anyway, that's it. Great book, great lesson.
Cheers!
~B
*Partially excerpted from various Amazon reviews
3 comments:
Sounds like you should go to nursing school. It's in your blood.
Your sister, Amy, she's kinda cute! Thanks for sharing her pic with us. She's my screensaver.
A Friend ;-)
I think we might have something in common...Lolly
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