Inspiration from The Little Prince | March 2025
“I’m beginning to understand,” the little prince said. “There’s a flower… I think she’s tamed me…”
Sometimes there are moments in life when you realize just how amazing it is to be a parent. They don’t happen every day, and they sometimes come from the most unexpected places.
A few nights ago, fairly late at night, I put the wash in the dryer, then ran downstairs to give my sourdough a final turn before letting it sit on the counter overnight. As I was walking back upstairs, my 16-year-old son asked me:
“Dad, do you like doing all this?”
Without missing a beat, I said, “Yes, of course.”
Which is nearly totally true. I love my family. I love doing things for my family. In The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman identifies different ways different people express their love and want to be loved. For me, I express my love through acts of service. So, I nearly always find myself happy to be doing for those closest to me.
And yet it’s undeniable that there is just so much work to be done. And sometimes, it’s just tiring.
There’s a short scene in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince that I keep coming back to when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Of all the truths that this book contains, this one is probably the most profound.
The little prince, as you may recall, came to visit earth. He was sad to do so, because he was going to miss his flower on his planet. He considered himself so wealthy, because he had this one flower.
While on earth, he walks into a garden and sees the entire space bursting with flowers. He considers himself foolish, for having thought that he was so wealthy with just one flower, when right before him there were hundreds.
Of course, there is a big difference between all the flowers of the world and just your flower. And that’s the lesson that the fox teaches him. The little prince was lonely and wanted to play with the fox. But the fox wasn’t ready to play. He needed to be tamed first. The fox explains:
“It means to create ties… For me, you’re only a little boy like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you have no need of me, either. But if you tame me, we’ll need each other. You’ll be the only boy in the world for me. I’ll be the only fox in the world for you…”
“I’m beginning to understand,” the little prince said. “There’s a flower… I think she’s tamed me…”
So, I remind myself that it’s by creating the rhythms of life, being there for the people closest to you, and so often it’s just showing up that makes the difference. That’s how we create the ties between our friends and family. That’s why my wife and children are unique: because we’ve tamed each other.
Wishing you a month full of love, of giving, and doing the work of creating ties with those you share this magical journey with.
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