To See the World Through the Eyes of a Child

To See the World
Through the Eyes of a Child

I am blessed with two amazing grandchildren – one in England of 23 and one of 2 ½ here in the U.S. and like all grandparents we believe there is no one quite like “our” grandchildren!

Ollie, the 2 ½ year old epitomizes the innocence and wonder of someone that age – everything to him is magical and like all young children they “live in the now”.

They are fascinated by the world around them and give unconditional love to all.

Oh, that we as adults could see the world through the eyes of a child!

So – I began to think is it possible to go into adulthood and not be tainted by life’s trials and tribulations?

Is there a specific time or experience that suddenly changes us into what we are today – or is it the continual drip - drip of negative experiences that slowly wears us down?

Is it disappointments in our lives, having our hopes and aspirations not materialize in the way we think they should?

Do we buy into the collective consciousness of fear, anxiety, and mistrust?

The notion of innocence refers to children’s simplicity, their lack of knowledge, and their purity not yet spoiled by mundane affairs. Such innocence is taken as the promise of a renewal of the world by the children.

Childhood innocence is a part of human nature. No matter who you are or where you come from, the children around you will all be filled with the same innocence, the same sense of wonder and adventure. Kids will be kids, they’ll play catch with friends, tease each other about school crushes, and dream about the future.

Watching the way my daughter Michelle and her husband are bringing him up with “positive parenting” is so beautiful to watch. Rather than say “No, don’t do that” they offer an alternative and ask which one he would prefer. They praise him for small things and encourage him to laugh and play. They make time to spend with him and ask him to help them with simple things – and then thank and praise him. They spend a lot of time laughing with him – making him laugh and laughing at some of the antics young children get up to.

When I compare this with my own upbringing – and that of many others at that time – where there was a definite demarcation between the parents and child and manners and respect were expected, the current way of parenting gives me great hope for the future.

Young children already possess more wisdom than their parents do – they already know the importance in later life of doing what you love to do – not what you feel or have been told you need to do.

Very young children are very connected to spirit – they are aware of the “invisible world” and making up stories with imaginary friends is to be encouraged and not suppressed.

This is the way we will create a world of healthy, well balanced, and empathetic people, not driven by what they can get out of life, but more about what they can do to put into life.

They have a great connection with nature – fascinated by everything around them – and seem to “understand” animals and have a natural affinity to nature.

As Maria Montessori says “When children become in contact with nature, they reveal their strength.

How can one expect kids to grow and bloom when parents tend to keep them occupied with technology and robotic nurturance? Every child is born with a unique strength that grows when the right environment is provided. Make them appreciate nature and be inspired by it

You know how some adults cling on to their favorite toy to that they loved as a child? That shows how innocent kids are—they never love something out of its benefit. They love it just because. And no matter how cheap it might be monetarily it’s precious more than all riches of the world combined. The way they love is inspiring for adults.

So, even if you do not have children or grandchildren – try to see the world through your eyes when you were much younger – when school holidays seemed to last forever, how simple things made us content and whilst we cannot go backwards, we can start to create the sort of world we want for the youngsters who are not tainted by the things that we have created.

I would like to end with one of the best inspirational quotes by Tom Robbins – “It’s never too late to enjoy a happy childhood”

Try it and see!
Love & Light

 Roger

“For those who understand – no explanation is necessary – for those who do not understand, no amount of explaining will be sufficient”