“A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood.” Rachel Carson
But as she looked at the clear, blue morning and the excited face of her daughter, she felt so tempted. She felt a nostalgic yearning for the carefree days of her childhood when she was considered the best bowler of her locality. Could she go back to those days? Yes, she could! She dug out her old pair of jeans praying it would still fit, slipped into her husband’s shirt and, much to the delight of the children, marched out of the building with the bat in her hand. Oh! It was a glorious day. Shyamala ran around, dived, pushed, pummelled, rolled around in the grass, got dirty and enjoyed every minute of it. It was as if the years had rolled off her and she had become the fun loving kid that she had been so many years back. What a wonderful feeling of being alive! Like Shyamala, all of us at some time, need to keep in touch with the child in us. We all need to savour the sweet moments of childhood by indulging in child like pleasures from time to time – stomping in the rain, licking an ice cream in full view, sitting on a swing in the park, going to the zoo and feeding the animals, making sand castles on the beach, squish squashing through the puddles of water, playing games. In other words, some moments of fun and frolic to balance the seriousness of life. Don’t allow the child in you to grow up. Reserve a special place for her in your life and resurrect her from time to time. Don’t allow your feelings of inhibition and awkwardness prevent you from doing the things that give you pleasure. Response to challenge Reserve this week for a trip down memory lane. Make a list of what you enjoyed doing when you were a child. Gather a group of friends or maybe your children and have fun together. The motto is to let your hair down and stamp down ruthlessly on your feelings of awkwardness and silliness. Allow the child in you to take control and have a rollicking weekend. Believe me! Life will seem wonderful if you look at it with a child’s pair of eyes. Have fun! |
Shyamala looked at her daughter in amazement. The very thought of doing what her daughter was suggesting seemed insane. She, Shyamala, wear a pair of jeans and play cricket and frisbee with her daughter and her friends? The idea was totally ridiculous. What would people think? She would be the laughing stock of her neighbourhood.