My younger son and I watched a couple Marvel movies and shows tonight. His perspective on the superhero dramas is widening and deepening. “This is is kinda dark,” came out of his mouth several times.
He doesn’t just see the action and special effects any more. He sees characters dealing with loss and grief in almost every scene.
Marvel has done a remarkable job of exploring the weight of grief. The entire creative universe is now shaped by the losses it has witnessed since Tony Stark went through the painful process of killing off his hedonistic persona in the early movies.
Isaac and I don’t get much time alone together. He’s softer than me and his older brother, in the best way. He snuggles up under my arm and feels everything deeply. His compassion is raw.
I’m grateful for these moments when we can explore the hero’s journey and see how we can live our own. He knows more loss than any ten-year-old should have to. He understands loss better than most adults. His mom gifted him with empathy. She would be so proud of her sweet boy.