"In the eyes of a child you will see the world as it should be." – Unknown

 

It dawned on me the other day that my daughter is partaking one of the most brilliant summers of her life.  Each and every summer is distinct and diverse but this one seems to be rather amazing, with loads of friends, oodles of family and tons of summer fun and we are only halfway through it.  If summer was to end today, I would say it’s been a decent one.  I won’t bore you with all the details but suffice to say she is one lucky eight year old.  I know my daughter won’t possible remember it all, in years to come, but I like to think that all the little bits and pieces of her experiences will add up to magnificent memories that will make her who she is to become someday.  I’ve heard folks say that kids are too young to recollect occurrences so why bother doing things with them until they are old enough to remember.   I completely disagree.  I like to think that somewhere deep down every experience big or small makes you who you are, even if your memory doesn’t recall it, and I feel your experiences live with you forever.

As a mother, I want my child to do it all and see it all, experience as much as possible and because of this our summer has been jammed packed with goodies.  With all the planning and great ideas, I can’t help but notice that some of the most enjoyable times have been the impromptu encounters, the ones that are thrown together last minute.  Like the other night at the lake, where we went to take a quick dip, on a muggy summer night.  A completely normal occasion, nothing special, or was it?  Watching my daughter swim and splash around, in the lake, with all the freedom of the world was indeed priceless.   She played and swam about with her friends and had the time of her life.  Just the water and a dock…no toys, no money, no elaborate plans, just good old summer fun with buddies.  As I observed the kids jumping off the dock, giggling up a storm at themselves without a care in the world, I knew in that moment I was observing the most beautiful sound ever created, children’s laughter.  If we could bottle that sound and listen to it when we are having a rough time, the world might be a better place.  Who doesn’t smile when they hear laughter?   Laughter is by far my favorite sound in life, I’m glad I was able to stop and live in that moment. That quick trip to the lake was how life should be, simple but so very special.   I got to watch kids being kids and that might be one of the most delightful things, in the whole wide world.

A quote I found, says it best, “In the eyes of a child you will see the world as it should be.”  Kids have a way of putting life back into perspective.  We should all take a lesson from our kids and understand that it’s the simple things that mean the most.  I know myself, I am always trying to one up things, go bigger or better than the last time, which can be good because we are constantly seeing and doing new things but I forget it’s the simple things that are unsurpassed.  This summer we have had many adventures but the least planned and cheapest ones have been some of the best.  Adults always complicate and overthink but children see beauty in the smallest things. I love to see kids frolicking in nature and making something fun out of what appears to be nothing.  It’s inspiring to me see a child use their brains and surroundings to create happiness.  It’s truly refreshing to see kids being kids, especially in this age of instant gratification and high speed electronics; it’s hard to be content when things are moving so fast.  It’s hard to stop and just live in the moment. 

Hopefully this summer, you will make the time to stop for a moment, sit back and watch children’s creative minds at work while they enjoy the simple things of life.  Most adults lose the ability to see the world as it should be, we get so busy and caught up in our schedules and plans that we forget to just have fun.  Remember kids don’t need to have the very best of everything; they need to have time to play and be kids, let their imaginations run wild and explore new things.  Through this they see the world as it should be; pure, simple and fun.  Learn from our kids, stop planning every moment, and enjoy the simplicity and exuberance of life!  If you listen long enough you might even get to hear the best sound in the world, laughter. We all need to think a little less and live a little more.  Take some time to remember what it is like to be a kid so you will see the world as it should be.