Monday, November 18, 2013

Children - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly




Today my post is about children.  I have lots of thoughts going through my head.  It’s likely this is going to take several different tangents.

Last night my 6 year old son, Dallas’, first tooth fell out.  We put it in a Ziploc bag and he wrote, “Dallasis 1st Tooth.”  He was concerned the tooth fairy might not be able to find it under his pillow so he wanted to put it on the bookshelf.  (I’m not sure if he was actually worried she wouldn’t find it, or worried about her being right there under his pillow.)  Then he was worried she might run into the wood part of the bed and hurt herself.  After I assured him he was not in a position to question the tooth fairies ability to do her job, he finally put it under his pillow, but asked if he could sleep on my pillow with me (which he did).  A child’s sense of wonder, ability to live in the present and unharnessed excitement inspires me, humbles me and encourages me to make the most of this life for myself and others.

Today I had lunch with Dallas at school.  As I looked around the cafeteria full of first and second graders I saw a room buzzing with excitement, full of conversation, laughter, smiles, kids following the rules, eating healthy foods and loving life.  This made me think of the innate goodness of children.  When I think of their goodness, their naïve nature, their innocence, I also think of what it takes to help them successfully bridge the gap between childhood, adolescence, adulthood and parenthood.  What do I need to do to be the most rockin’ trail guide on the path of life?

I read an article today.  Warning – this is a terrible news story about the treatment of children.  Here’s the link - http://m.nydailynews.com/1.140154.  If you are like me you will hardly be able to comprehend what you just read and you will not stop thinking about it.  It reminds me how different all of our stories are; can you imagine being this girl in her adult life telling her story?  How does she get from where she is now to where she is destined to go?  Does she survive and thrive and go on to make the world a better place because of her own horrifying experiences?  Does she never overcome the mental and physical strain she has endured during her first 6 years of life?  None of us know the answer to these questions, but we do know she has started on a completely different playing field than we did or that our own children have.

My thoughts:
  • Allow yourself to get lost in the magical world of a child
  • Take parenting seriously and make it your first priority
  • Help others less fortunate than yourself
  • Remember that we all come from very different walks of life

Your thoughts?

XOXO,
Meg

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