A Toddler's View of the Refugee Crisis

I was reading the Wall Street Journal this morning when Elliott woke up and joined me for breakfast. He pointed to the picture on the front page and asked who the people in the picture were. The conversation that followed was something I had to share. I am titling this one “A Toddler’s View of the Refugee Crisis.”

Elliott – Who are those people, Mom? (pointing to the Hungarian guards)

Me – They are guards. They are making sure that those people on the other side of the fence don’t come over.

Elliott – Why?

Mom – The people over here live in Syria and there has been a very long war going on in their country. There is a lot of fighting so they want to leave and go somewhere else. They want to find a safe place. But the people over here live in Hungary and they don’t want them to come over.

Elliott – Well they should just let them come over.

Mom – It’s not that easy. I wish it were. But it’s not.

Elliott – Oh.

We ended the conversation and I didn’t really think much about it. I didn’t even expect him to comprehend it. Later this morning when we were driving in the car he saw the picture again because I had the WSJ sitting on the floor of the car.

Elliott – Hey Mom, if those people go over to Hungary will they make them fight, too?

Mom – No, honey. That’s why they want to go to Hungary. So they don’t have to fight.

Elliott – Oh. But that picture isn’t even real is it Mom? It’s just a fake picture?

Mom – I wish it weren’t real. But it is. Those are real people.

Elliott – But we can’t see them. Or hear them.

Mom – You are right. They live far far away. But that doesn’t mean it’s not real.