Spirit of the child...

 

So much has been written about this idea, this magical quality of keeping the child alive inside us. That spirit child indeed lives inside,,, it's just whether we embrace her, nurture her, allow her to frolick. Sometimes we're just plain embarrassed at the child within... But I think we then forget we still love that little girl we are...were... Will always be. When our own children embarrass us, we never forget how fiercely we love them. Anyway. Unconditionally. No matter what

 

Example: I will never ever forget the white hot embarrassment I felt running down my back when my son took some plastic applicator-feminine products (yep, you know what I mean) to school in a little stolen goody bag... I got that message to come in to "visit" the teacher... Standing before the minister's wife/second grade teacher, I heard the words, "Do you have any idea what your son brought to share with his buddies during recess?" I, of course, didn't. With what I felt was a smirky flourish, she dumped the sack... Pink, squeaky clean( thank God!) applicators, emptied...

 

My mumbled response: "Ohmygodwhatintheworld---er...gosh!?"

 

When throttled and questioned, my son bristled up indignantly. Why? Why? Why? "Oh, Mom... Missile launchers. What is the big deal? Why? What are they anyway?"

 

Of course.

 

But even with embarrassment like that, I didn't stop adoring that child. Walk through fire for him at any moment...

 

So back to ourselves. I know many of us do keep that child alive. For many, the gift of grandchildren brings the opportunities to play. It's no big stretch to contact our little girl inside if we need her to translate with that younger generation... Today I drove up to my old house, now occupied by my son. I spied one lone sand toy truck tucked in a corner of the front porch, a remnant of that little, precious pretend grandson (translation: son of my son's ex.) bi felt a familiar twinge at that particular heartbreak...but thankfully, I didn't let that get to me today.

 

It's difficult to keep the inner child without some kind of childishness, or self-deprecation. None of us really wants to pretend to be bumblin' stumblin' naive.... I kind of think one or two concepts can help us stay young. Just sayin'. When confronted with the new, improved model of anything... Laugh like a child and say, "How fun!" I don't think we even need to embrace it yet... Just give it a positive chance. My adorable great-aunt Mildred grabbed a new water bottle with a patented sip top..... She gave it a long, delicious squirt in her mouth, and she proclaimed it fun. .... With a giggle.

 

Hey, I can do that one. What seems to eat me up? I can't shake fear. Kids are fearless usually. Because they almost always feel a back-up support. So nagging fear is an instant ager, Debbie downer, for sure. Praying helps, affirmations help...hey, even chocolate has been known to temporarily waylaying pointless, unnecessary, needless fear.

 

I'd appreciate your ideas. How do you stay young at heart? Just food for thought about being young and truly living ....forever and a day, this hazy, post-tempest morning. My inner child would like one last snooze... Zzzzzzzzz

 

Hugs and Whimsy!