Our Indonesian friend spotted the carved mahogany statuette as we walked down a row of tent-like market stalls near Lake Toba in northern Sumatra. "Look!" she said. "That tells you how the Indonesian people feel about their children. They want to lift them up high—above themselves. They want to put them first!"
I loved the statuette right away. It depicts three intertwined figures: a little boy, his father, and an infant sister or brother. At the top is the little boy—perched a full head above his father. His feet planted solidly on his father's shoulders and his hands tightly grasping his father's headpiece, he surveys the world ahead with serene confidence. Facing the two of them is the baby, rocking back and forth on the father's knees. You can almost hear the little one cooing.
Now, the statuette has an honored place on my mantelpiece. I love to think of the ideal it represents. And to remember how the artisan who'd made the statuette, and his family, validated the message of this artwork. He and his wife treated their children like special guests. They introduced them to us. And, as I was purchasing the statuette and some other souvenirs from them, they continued serving the children lunch at the back of the stall. They really treasured their children.
