Letter to Charlie Chaplin's daughter

No unselfish and unconditional love than the love of parents for their children.
Charlie Chaplin, the father of 12 children, in 1965, being the wiser old man of 76 years, wrote a letter to his daughter Geraldine dvadtsatiodnoletny, looking for himself in the dance at the Paris scene. Letter emotional, deeply personal, but at the same time suitable to each of us.
This is an example of paternal love and concern, sadness and joy, pride and experience, accumulated wisdom and keep it in childhood. "I've never been an angel - wrote a genius of cinema - but I always wanted to be a man. Try and you ».
Read this letter and think about what your parents taught you, and what you want to teach your children.

"My girl!
It's night. Christmas night. All the armed men of my little castle slept. Sleep is your brother, your sister. Even your mother was asleep. I almost woke asleep chicks getting to this half-lit room. How far are you from me! But let me go blind, if your image is not always in front of my eyes. Your portrait - are on the table, and there, next to my heart. And where are you? There, in a fairy-tale Paris, dancing on the majestic theater stage on the Champs Elysees. I know it, and yet it seems to me that in the silence of the night, I hear your steps, see your eyes that shine like stars in the winter sky.
I hear that you play in this festive and light play the role of Persian Beauty, captive Tatar khan. Be beautiful and dance! Be a star and shine! But if the enthusiasm and gratitude to the audience you are intoxicated, if the flavor of flowers presented to swallow your head, then sit in a little corner and read my letter, listen to the voice of your heart. I am your father, Geraldine! I - Charlie Chaplin! Do you know how many nights I sat by your bedside when you was a baby, telling you a fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, about waking the dragon? And when my dream to wax dim old eyes, I scoffed at him and said: "Go away! My dream - a dream of my daughter! »

I saw your dreams, Geraldine, saw your future, your today. I saw a girl dancing on the stage, fairy, moving across the sky. Heard told the audience: "You see this girl? She is the daughter of an old clown. Remember, his name was Charlie? "Yes, I - Charlie! I - Old Fool! Today is your turn. Dance! I danced in a wide ragged trousers, and you dance in a silk dress the princess. These dances and applause will sometimes offer you to heaven. Fly! Fly there! But get down on the ground! You have to see people's lives, the lives of those street dancers who dance, trembling with cold and hunger. I was like them, Geraldine. In the nights, in those magical nights when you fall asleep, lulled by my stories, I was awake.

I looked at your face, listening to beats your heart and ask yourself, "Charlie, do this kitten will ever know you?" You do not know me, Geraldine. Many tales tell I'm in those nights, but his tale - ever. But it is also interesting. This tale of a hungry buffoon, who sang and danced in the slums of London, and then collecting alms. Here it is, my story! I knew what hunger, what is not to have a roof over their head. More than that, I felt the pain of the humiliating wanderer-jester, in whose breast raged the whole ocean of pride, and this pride hurts wounded toss a coin. And yet I am alive, so leave it.

It is better to talk about you. After your name - Geraldine - should be my name - Chaplin. With this name for more than forty years I laugh people on earth. But I cried more than they were laughing. Geraldine, in a world in which you live, there are not only the music and dance! At midnight, when you come out of the great hall, you can forget richest fans, but do not forget to ask the taxi driver that will take you home, his wife. And if she was pregnant when they do not have money for diapers for the unborn child, put the money in his pocket. I ordered the bank to pay your these costs. But all other pay strictly on the account. From time to time trips on the subway or on the bus, walk on foot and explore the city.

Keep an eye to the people! Look at the widows and orphans! And at least once a day say to yourself, "I am the same as they are." Yes, you're one of them, a girl! Furthermore. Art, before giving the man the wings so it can fly up, usually breaks his leg. And if the day comes when you feel themselves above the audience, immediately catches the scene. At the first taxi travel to the outskirts of Paris. I know them very well! There you will see many dancers like you even more beautiful, graceful, with great pride. The dazzling limelight of your theater will not be there at all. Spotlight for them - the Moon.

Peer good; look! Do not dance if they are better than you? Admit it, my girl! There is always a who dances better than you, who play better than you! And remember: in the family, Charlie had such a boor, who swore to cab or mocked the poor, sitting on the banks of the Seine. I will die, but you'll live. I wish you had never known poverty. With this letter I send you a check book, so that you can spend as you wish. But when the two francs to spend, do not forget to remind ourselves that the third coin - not yours. It must belong to a stranger who needed it. And this you can easily find. One has only to want to see these strangers the poor, and you will meet them everywhere. I speak to you about the money, because they knew the diabolical force. I spent a lot of time in the circus. And always very worried about high-wire.

But I must tell you that people are more likely to fall on solid ground than walkers with precarious rope. Maybe one of the dinner parties you bedazzle any diamond. At the same time it will be dangerous for you rope, and inevitably fall for you. Maybe one day you will captivate the beautiful face of a prince. On the same day you will become a novice tightrope walker and inexperienced always fall. Do not sell your heart of gold and jewels. I know that most huge diamond - is the sun. Fortunately, it shines for everyone. And when the time comes and you fall in love, you love this man with all my heart. I told your mother that she had written to you about this. She understands love more than I do, and it is better to talk to you the most about this. The work you hard, I know.

Your body is covered with a piece of silk. For the sake of art can appear on stage naked, but back there it is necessary not only dressed, but cleaner. I am old, and maybe my words sound funny. But, in my opinion, your naked body must belong to those who love your naked soul. It does not matter if your opinion on this issue ten years ago, that is, it belongs to the passing time. Do not worry, these ten years you grow old. But be that as it may, I want you to be the last person of the people who will be subjects of the island bare. I know that parents and children are together eternal duel. Voyuy with me, with my thoughts, my girl! I do not like obedient children. And while my eyes are not tears flowed on this letter, I want to believe that today's Christmas night - the night of miracles.

I want to see a miracle happened, and you really understood everything that I wanted to tell you. Charlie has grown old, Geraldine. Sooner or later, instead of white dresses for the stage you'll have to go into mourning, to come to my grave. Now I do not want to upset you. Just cast a glance in the mirror - there you see my features. In your veins my blood. Even when the blood in my veins is cool, I wish you had not forgotten her father Charlie. I was not an angel, but always wanted to be a man. Try and you.
I kiss you, Geraldine. Your Charlie. December 1965 & quot;