The power of love is above everything.
One of our greatest needs is to form connections.
Ensuring secure attachment, especially in childhood, is essential.
Many studies show that children who cannot bond with their parents may face emotional difficulties later in life.
I am one of those who couldn’t form bonds as a child…
My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was only two years old.
And she passed away when I was four. This prevented me from bonding with her.
And even though I am married and have a son, I still struggle to connect with others.
The main character of “My Sweet Orange Tree”, Zeze, is a smart and lively child who has to move to a new place due to his family’s financial situation.
Like every child, Zeze tries to connect with people and wants to feel loved.
And like any child, he expresses himself through his actions.
However, because of this, he constantly gets beaten by his family, except for his sister Gloria.
Zeze, who cannot bond with his father, shares everything with a small sweet orange tree he names “Minguinho” in the yard of their new home.
He chooses it as his confidant.
Only his sister Gloria and his teacher truly protect and show him love.
A street musician arrives in the neighborhood.
Zeze offers to sing for him in exchange for song lyrics for Gloria.
And every Tuesday, they sing together.
Eventually, he even gets beaten by his father for this.
One day, Zeze boldly clings to the back of a car belonging to a wealthy Portuguese man in town, just like all the other kids dream of doing.
Of course, he gets scolded for it.
But later, when the Portuguese man sees Zeze with an injured leg, he takes him to the hospital.
And a friendship begins to form between them.
They meet and talk almost every day.
Zeze starts to see him as a father figure and grows attached to him.
He even gives him the name “Portuga.“
But this attachment does not last long.
One day, after being beaten by his brother and sister, Zeze falls ill.
And he starts to hate life so much that he wishes he were dead.
He says that if Portuga were his father, he would never be naughty again.
However, when Zeze recovers and returns to school, he learns that Portuga’s car was hit by a train.
And that Portuga has died.
At the same time, his brother announces that he will cut down the little sweet orange tree.
Upon hearing this, Zeze falls into deep despair. He stops eating and drinking.
He becomes extremely weak. And everyone believes he will die.
His brother, feeling guilty, tells him that the sweet orange tree has blossomed and that he will not cut it down.
Zeze realizes that the sweet orange tree has grown and that, like it, he has also started to grow.
Even though he eventually recovers, he is no longer the same Zeze.
A life filled with great traumas forces people to mature quickly.
Losing my mother, living a difficult life, and then losing my father while I was still in university forced me to grow up fast as well.
“My Sweet Orange Tree” is incredibly moving—it will bring you to tears and warm your heart at the same time.
The author’s, Jose Mauro de Vasconcelos, storytelling draws you in.
And making you experience Zeze’s life as if you were living it yourself.
Through the eyes of a child, you will see and feel how they perceive the world and the adults around them with pure hearts.
You will be amazed at how their small hearts can endure such heavy burdens.
You will understand how crucial it is to form connections and to cherish every moment with our children.
And trust me, you will find the Zeze within you—and show him compassion.
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