HelluvaGirl

I have considered Sagrada Familia as one of the commercialised tourists spots. Having entered it, I realised it was a sight everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Not only as a masterpiece of design – great design gets me weak at the knees any day. But it’s also about the vastness of one’s imagination, and the bravery to employ a number of people, loads of materials and decades of time to make it reality. I’ve never had a fraction of that drive but always feel happy to witness in somebody else.

We looked around and then sat in the area for praying. 

Pia started asking questions about different elements of the church interior. Eventually we approached the topic of the four gospels. She insisted that I tell her the story of Jesus Christ.

Bearing in mind what Pia’s Father thinks of those stories, I carefully pick my words – he is a humanist and openly sceptical about the history of the Catholic church – but then again, I think I could say I am, too. And from what I have learnt, we probably are on the same page regarding the essence of any confession or doctrine – it’s just being loving and kind, to yourself and every creation around you. It’s about… evolving of everything. I remember how we’d argue about destiny, me of course being the fatalist and him – the rational, pragmatical, weighing one, just to reach the point where it was clear the argument arose due to different words we’d use to express similar ideas, and the beliefs… they are not so different after all. Doesn’t it happen every day to all of us? The language mixing up things, getting in the way?

So I tell her about the prophet Jesus Christ and the way the gospels have been written; about his conception and death, and resurrection, and how thousands of people see religion as a pillar in their self-improvement and awareness. How it is an aid, and not the core.

I love the comparison about the Moon and the finger, the latter being religion and the former – God, and how people concentrate so much on the finger pointing to the Moon that they miss the whole idea. To think about the wars having taken place and still ongoing due to this misconception is a living proof we as the civilisation should majorly clean up by going extinct.

I tell her the little blue book we have at home is full of many stories about Jesus and she asks if we could read them once we’re back. I promise her we would.

Then I pray for a bit and she keeps asking me what I am doing, and I realise then the whole point is not how heartily you connect to the God figure within your depths but how you react to the annoying kid who disturbs you from doing it. The small, the mundane things. Those define your nature.

We leave church to see Parc de la Ciutadella. On the way home, just wandering around leisurely, I look up – and wham! we’re passing Pulperia.

Pia is over the Moon, right before she tries her first octopus. Waiter looks happy to see us and everyone there seems to know my daughter’s name. From what I can tell, she likes the spotlight.