Submitted in response to Words Alive’s Writing Challenge from author Matt de la Peña: LOVE

I believe the family is wrong in this situation. To hide the girl from the world and block out all the pain is not the way to teach her; sometimes the fear of the unknown can be greater than the fear of the situation itself. Also, the imaginations of young children are powerful- whether they use it positively or negatively. For instance, in that girls mind, she rides unicorns through the yard, but zombies lurk under her bed. Just imagine the horrors that would form in the little girl’s mind at the thought of what this news might be about.

However, I do see that shielding the child was an act of love. To me, this picture presents a family who only wants to keep their little girl safe. They want her to be oblivious to the world. To stay free of pain, grief, and fear. But in reality, is this really the way for a child to learn? The way for their little girl to grow, and to face challenges that might be scary in her own life?

I imagine that on the screen in the photo, they are seeing the effects of Global Warming. Maybe on the news in the world Matt de la Pena has created, they want to remind everyone of the other perils our world is facing, not only COVID -19 (although I do agree it should be our main priority right now).

The family is watching stranded polar bears moaning desperately towards the vast ocean. They witness vibrant coral becoming bleached, white and dying, from the warming waters. The family sees walruses tumbling off cliffs to their deaths because there is hardly any land for them to live on with the rising sea levels.

The family doesn’t want the girl to hear this heartbreaking information. But how could she grow up to save the world if she doesn’t even know what’s out there?

Those are some of the views and opinions I have visualized about the family’s actions and what I imagine the screen in this picture is showing.