A Jedi always has his friend's back
My
5 year old niece was starting to get into the Star Wars universe.
Her parents showed her The Phantom Menance, The Attack of the Clones,
and A New Hope. She has been reading words since she was 3 or 4, so
the precocious imp was reading Star Wars for beginning readers. We
were settling in her tree house to read some Star Wars when she
looked at me in all seriousness. “Tia Maria, I do not want to go
to the Dark Side.” “Why are you worried about going to the Dark
Side?” I asked. “Anakin was a good boy but some how he went to
the Dark Side and he became Darth Vader.”
Knowing
the few movies that she had seen, I went this route. “Let's think
about a few things. Anakin left his Mom to become a Jedi, so he did
not have his Mom around to guide him and to give him advice. Anakin
had two very different friendships one with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who
became his main teacher and one with Senator Palpatine. Obi-Wan would
talk to Anakin about patience and perseverance as being the way of
the Jedi. Palpatine would twists words or says things that were
slightly true, but not completely true. Anakin would end up confused
and angry after having talked to Palpatine. Now, Palpatine is part
of the Dark Side of the Force, the side that feeds off of anger,
hatred and fear and Obi-Wan is part of the Light Side of the Force
that focuses on patience, perseverance and self-sacrifice. If you do
not wish to go to the Dark Side then you must surround yourself with
friends that are like Obi-Wan. Now you have Mommy and Daddy, your
grandparents, your uncle and myself to help you choose the Light
Side, do you have any other friends that can help you?” She thought
a bit and then her face lit up. “Yes. Jesus!” I agreed. “He
is the best friend to have to keep you from the Dark Side.” and
then I went on “For He is the Way and the Truth and the Light.”
“He is the Light Side!” She crowed. “Well done, Padawan, well
done.”
