Violets and a Waterfall
Juliet Thompson, The Diary of Juliet Thompson, (1947), Kalimát Press · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
A retelling for children, based on The Diary of Juliet Thompson (diary entry, 25 August 1911). The words in quotation marks are 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own, as Juliet wrote them down.
It was a beautiful summer day in the green hills of Switzerland, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá decided to go for a drive in the countryside. He invited a few friends to come along, and off they went.
Suddenly, the car was surrounded! About fifteen village children came running up, their hands full of little purple violets, holding them out hopefully. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was delighted. He bought every single bunch — all of them — smiling at the happy children.
At the forest, He led His friends to a place where a waterfall came crashing down over the rocks. He climbed up and stood very still, just watching the rushing water, as happy as a child Himself. On the way home, He kept pointing things out — the bright green fields, the little villages, the houses high up on the mountain.
One of His friends, named Juliet, was so happy to be with Him that she felt sad too — because she wished these golden days could last forever and never end. When she said so, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave her a gentle answer:
We are together now. Be happy in the present.
He was teaching her something wise and simple. Instead of feeling sad that a happy time will end, we can be glad for the happy time we are having right now. Today is a gift — and the best thing to do with a gift is to enjoy it.
This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "Be Happy in the Present".
Cite this story
Thompson, J.. (1947). *The Diary of Juliet Thompson*. Kalimát Press. https://bahai-library.com/thompson_diary
Record yourself reading this story
Recording stays on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
Related stories
Be Happy in the Present
On a summer day in the Swiss countryside, 'Abdu'l-Bahá rode out to a forest, bought the violets of a swarm of peasant children, and stood entranced before a waterfall. When Juliet wished the days could last forever, He gave her a gentle answer. A retelling from the Diary of Juliet Thompson.
He Always Had Time for Them: 'Abdu'l-Bahá with the Children
Mahmúd's Diary preserves a recurring theme of the 1912 American tour: the Master's particular attention to the children who came with their parents to the meetings. He would pause the proceedings to greet them. He would set them on His knee. He would ask their names, kiss their cheeks, and send them away with a sweet from His pocket.
A Shining Light: Leslie Armstrong of Montreal
In March 1913 the Star of the West printed an obituary for Leslie Armstrong of Montreal — a small boy whose hands the Master had filled with fruit during the 1912 Canadian visit, on whose head the Master had laid His hand, and to whom He had said: *He will be a shining light for God.* The child died at age six from injuries in an automobile accident.
A delightful story is told of a Mademoiselle Letitia, who had come from a poor
A delightful story is told of a Mademoiselle Letitia, who had come from a poor family in Haifa to live in the Master's home in 'Akka to teach French to the children. She was happy there, though she was a Catholic and the nuns in the…