Why do you have a scar?

We were visiting some friends on their houseboat this weekend when I overheard their daughter ask Conall "Why do you have a scar?"

It took a lot of effort not to answer the question for him, but I managed. Turns out 6 year old Conall doesn't need my help - he did just fine on his own. He simply explained that he was born with a cleft lip and palate and that the scar is a result of one of his surgeries. I felt a mixture of joy and loss. The joy is for him being so matter-of-fact and mature. The loss was for me... that my role of the educator and protector may be coming to an end. It also got me thinking about how this is a relatively rare question from his peers and that some may not be as kind as our friend's daughter. One day at a time...