After dinner…
After dinner and we play…
After dinner and we play and take our bath…

And our story, and song, and dance.
And after we find Tiger, and the giraffe-pillow, and arrange the blankets…

We pray.

I ask Calvin if he wants to pray in English or in Portuguese.

It’s a habit now – I don’t remember when we started. We either say The Lord’s Prayer in English or a Protestant prayer in Portuguese. I think it’s my way of showing him that North or South, Orthodox or not, there’s a place for him in the world and he can choose how to find it.

The Portuguese prayer is short:

“Senhor Jesus,
Obrigado pelo dia, abençoe o meu sono, guarde a minha família.
Amém”

Sometimes, Calvin answers “A little bit in English” before rattling off:

“Our Father,
Amen.”

Clever, I respond. But let’s say the whole prayer. Calvin repeats the words after me.

Did you know a prayer can be a dialectic?

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Our Father

Our Father

Who art in Heaven,

Who’s in Heaven?

Hallowed be thy name.

My name’s Calvin!

Thy kingdom come.

Kingdome come

Thy will be done

Will it be done?

An earth as it is in heaven.

as in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

             …

What’s daily bread?   

It’s what we eat every day. 
It’s what gives us energy.

Is ice cream daily bread?                          

I don’t think so.
We don’t eat it every day.
It’s just for special occasions.

Oh. Ok.

…                        

And forgive us our trespasses,

Give us our três passas

As we forgive those who trespass against us,

             …

Are raisins daily bread?

I don’t know. 
Probably not.

What about raisin bread?

Well, maybe.

Ok.    

             …                        

And lead us not into temptation,

Lead us temptation

But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us evil

For thine is the kingdom

The kingdom!

And the power,

The power!

And the glory,

The glory!

Now and forever

Forever!

Amen.

Amém.

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