Sunday 12 May 2013

In The Nic of Time — Chapter 2: Cartoons soothe reality


A little over two months ago my grandson Nicholas found the cartoon show Phineas and Ferb when he was going through a very challenging period of his 10-year-old life.
The show gave him great solace.
Nic asked his grandmother — my wife Joan — to PVR every episode, which she did. We began watching Phineas and Ferb back to back, and within days, Joan and I could sing the show’s theme song, word for word.
Phineas and Ferb is a delightful show about two brothers who finding interesting, and fun, things to do on their summer vacation. They build things and take wild adventures — showing the magic of a powerful mind and its of the imagination.

The show has a wonderfully, zany sub-plot with Doctor Heinz Doofenshmirtz — my favorite character because of his all-over-the-map personality — and his nemesis Perry the Platypus, who always foils the good doctor’s somewhat off-the-wall evil plan.
The Dr.: A personal fave

At the end of every episode, somehow, the plots collide  and erase the antics of Phineas and Ferb, much to the disappointment of their sister Candace just before she is about to show their mother what the brothers have done.
The show is deep-rooted with music, good music.
Nic re-watches many episodes, but there’s one he watches over and over. He especially re-winds a song Candace sings to her mother, and Nic watched it countless times last week.
Joan and I paid close attention to Nic in the last few days, with Mother’s Day approaching. We knew it might be difficult since his mother passed away in early March.
Our grandson Nicholas
Nic has been very strong. He has handled the situation with courage and only a few times has he openly cried in front of us.
But on Friday, as he was watching Candace sing, tears were in his eyes.
“I wish,” he said, not letting his emotions take control, “Mommy could hear this song.”
I know, Nic, she does.  

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