The Little Prince
Love Requires Care and Responsibility
In what now feels to me like a different universe we were required to read the charming story of “The Little Prince,” in French. It’s French title if Le Petit Prince by St. Exupery.
This morning, I talked with someone whose friend is extremely depressed and feeling hopeless. Let's call the friend "M" to maintain privacy and anonymity. The friend is a man who is about forty years old. M is depressed and suicidal because of all the women he dated and could marry. He proclaimed his love for each woman, but each relationship ended in disaster. Now, he feels alone, depressed, and suicidal. The beautiful story of "The Little Prince" has the theme that "love requires care and responsibility."
The Story of The Little Prince
The Little Prince is a beautiful and thoughtful story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It may seem like a children's book, but it carries deep messages about life, love, and what truly matters.
The story begins with a pilot who crashes his plane in the desert. While trying to fix it, he meets a strange little boy who asks him to draw a sheep. The boy, who calls himself the Little Prince, comes from a tiny planet far away. As they spend time together, the prince tells the pilot about his journey from his planet to Earth.
On his little planet, the prince takes care of a single rose that he loves dearly. She is beautiful but also proud and sometimes difficult. One day, feeling unappreciated and unsure about their relationship, he leaves and explores the universe.
During his journey, he visits several planets, each with a different kind of adult. He meets a king who wants to rule everything, even the stars. He meets a vain man who only wants to be admired. He meets a drunkard who drinks to forget that he drinks. He meets a business person counting stars, believing they belong to him. He meets a lamplighter who unthinkingly follows orders. He meets a geographer who writes about places he has never seen. Each of these adults seems trapped in their small world, missing the real meaning of life.
Finally, the Little Prince arrives on Earth, where he meets a wise fox. The fox teaches him an important lesson about love and relationships. The fox tells him that when you care for someone deeply, they become special to you. The fox calls this "process" "taming." The prince realizes that despite many roses in the world, his rose is unique because he has loved and cared for her.
Before leaving Earth, the prince also meets a snake who offers him a way to return home. The snake speaks in riddles, but the meaning becomes clear later. The prince misses his rose and understands that real love means responsibility.
The story ends mysteriously and emotionally. The prince lets the snake bite him, believing it will free his spirit and allow him to return to his beloved rose. The pilot, who has grown to love the prince, is left alone in the desert but forever changed by their friendship. He asks readers to look up at the stars and imagine the Little Prince laughing among them.
This story teaches us many things. It reminds us that adults often focus on the wrong things. It shows us that love requires care and responsibility. It encourages us to see the world with the open heart of a child. The Little Prince is a book that speaks to the soul, no matter how old we are.
So, focus on the important things. Love and care for your partner and your children, even if they are adult children. Embrace the important things in life.
