I had the best Mother’s Day ever! Why? Because I had the privilege of having my children and grandchildren stop by for brunch (which my husband prepared!). Even though they live nearby, it doesn’t happen often that we are all together. They have very busy lives of their own, different interests and, most importantly, nap schedules conflict!
Our three grandsons are nothing short of delightful. Even though they are all young, they are at different stages of development and have different personalities which makes it all fun. At four and a half years, almost three years, and two months, they also have very different needs.
While playing with them and watching them interact with each other, I couldn’t help but wonder why and how we lose so many childlike qualities as we age. If the adults in the world were like a compilation of my three grandsons, the world would be a much better place. Imagine…
The youngest one is happy if he’s fed and has a dry diaper. Give him a little face time and conversation and he’ll start cooing and smiling at you, melting your heart. Imagine if contentment were that simple.
The middle one is curious and sweet. He’ll try anything and go anywhere. He wants to know the “how” and “why” of the world and will listen carefully to learn. He often shares his love through words, hugs and kindness. Imagine if we simply wanted to learn and love.
The oldest one has an amazing imagination and memory. He creates all kinds of imaginary worlds and invites everyone to play along with him. He can create intricate stories and think of new ways to build common things. Imagine if we still nurtured our creative spirit.
There are even more lessons to be learned from the two older boys. Sometimes, they both want the same toy. They figure it out. When their bellies are full at dinnertime, they stop eating. When they are tired, they lay down. When they don’t like something, they tell you. Can the same be said about grown-ups?
What if we lived like a child? What if we were content with simple necessities like the baby? What if loved to learn and shared love with each other like the middle grandson? And, what if we let our imagination grow and go like the oldest?
What might be possible?
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Photo credit: Children Jumping by Jon Grainger used with Creative Commons license.
