How We Can Be as Wise as a Child

“Tarry a moment to watch the chaos of a playground,

crayola-colored shirts of running children, all trying out their wings.” Sun Wolf

Have you noticed how the little people in your life know the true meaning of living in the moment? If we take time out of our busy schedule to stop and observe their play, we will see how their chaotic activity is actually a better strategy to making the most of life.

They experience everything as the present, being in tune with the gift of time.

My three-year-old grand-daughter surprised me one day when we were spending a few days together. Silver delights in going to the café to eat cake and have her own cup of bubbachino  – so off we went, with her mother too, and it was this outing that really taught me the meaning of time.

Making light and letting go

It was during our four day holiday on the sunny shores of Queensland where I met up with my daughter Claire and her little Silver. I had forgotten how being with a small child can be both laboriously slow and athletically fast. They can be happy one moment, demanding the next. It’s a life of swinging contrasts that move by the second, not by the hour.

Being with a small child challenges your energy level and mind, challenges your patience yet brings incredible joy.

I noticed that Silver’s day consists in appreciating minute by minute distractions but in allowing herself the

freedom to explore the newness of everything, she is being fully present to the activity of the moment.

Claire and I often found ourselves laughing at the way our plans were diverted to following Silver’s non-planned agenda. She stopped to admire what seemed to us to be every bug and leaf on the pavement: completely living in the moment, one by one by one.

When we decided to let go of controlling the time it was taking to walk to the café, our annoyance shifted to one of acceptance and in making light of being led by our cheerful toddler, we could relax into the moments with her too.

Swing into the moment

When we finally arrived at the café, I decided to be on holiday too and watch Silver play.

I noticed her mother swiftly remove any breakables from the top of the table and produce a soft toy to distract Silver while we placed our order.

Silver sat looking, with wide-eyes observing everything in the world around her at each moment. She pointed at the noisy bus passing by the window, then squealed with delight seeing a cheeky pigeon pecking at a doughnut on the pavement and then quickly swung around in her seat to contemplate what she might do next with the leftover piece of banana in her hand.

Her happiness was pure and simple. In that moment, I saw the gift of time as she did.

Her joy is in the small detail of experiencing life.

Like all children, Silver is never ahead of herself, she is always with herself in every single second of her day and lives life to the full. She is not planning what she and her mummy are doing in ten minutes time. She’s seeing the plane flying high in the sky or knocking over the ice cubes in her drink, throwing herself down on the floor with bitter disappointment for her spilt drink followed by a swift pick-me-up cuddle!

It’s a rollercoaster ride with a young child…swing right up there in a burst of laughter, dive down there in the pit of despair. Children take us on this ride of our lives too – to experience every moment as it happens without judging it as good or bad: it just is!

"Love children especially. They live to soften and purify hearts

and, as it were, to guide us.” Fyodor Dostoevsky

Obviously 

we can’t behave like young children in every moment of our day. But we can stop to give ourselves the precious gift of time when life is getting way ahead of us.

Whatever life-challenge or stress you may face, remember that it is taking time-out to proceed step by step that will bring you joy in the moment. Let go of your plans every now and then and discover the healing gift of time!

Let your joy be in the small detail of experiencing life as it unfolds, one amazingly beautiful moment at a time.

In loving memory of my mother Piluca, who's love of children is especially remember today on her earth-birthday... and felt every moment in my life as my heavenly-angel  xxx

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Copyright © Maribel Steel 2015