Jacelyn Tay's son explains unconditional love, almost bringing her to tears

Maybe it is true that kids say the darndest things.

That was definitely what Jacelyn Tay experienced after having a chat with her nine-year-old son, Zavier, on the topic of love.

On Wednesday (Nov 24), Jacelyn uploaded a selfie of them together with the details of their heart-to-heart conversation on love. It has received over 2,600 likes and 84 comments.

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According to the post, Zavier expressed his love for her, and she replied: "Aww, I love you too. Tell mama why do you love me."

Expecting a rather straightforward answer, the former Mediacorp actress was stumped by the response she got from Zavier. 

"I don't know, there is no reason," he said. This was when Zavier went into a different realm and deconstructed what unconditional love meant to him.

"Mama, if there is a reason for loving you, then it is conditional. If I love you because you are honest, then one day if you are not honest, does it mean that I won't love you anymore? No… I still love you."

Jacelyn was taken aback but Zavier wasn't quite done.

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He added: "Like you love me no matter how naughty I am, I love you unconditionally too."

It had quite the impact on Jacelyn who mentioned in her caption that she had previously wondered if her son loved her or if there was someone "who truly loves me for no benefits".

That conversation they had must have quelled any lingering doubt. She went on to explain how her parenting style was a deliberate breakaway from what she experienced as a child.

Jacelyn wanted her relationship with Zavier to not feel like "a prison for him". Growing up, Jacelyn's parents were insistent on the importance of being filial.

This meant that a child must repay the love of their parents as they have sacrificed for their kids. 

"This kind of love feels so suffocating because it is a must to return their love," Jacelyn wrote. She believes that a child's love for their parents should come from a place of sincerity.

In the Instagram post's comments section, netizens were amazed at Zavier's maturity.

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But maybe, it should not be too surprising. In January, his mum lost her cool on the road and Zavier reminded her that she mentioned "2021 is the year of kindness".

ALSO READ: How local actress Jacelyn Tay is protecting her son from the impact of her divorce

amierul@asiaone.com