THE POWER OF CHILDHOOD INNOCENCE

A muggy humid day on the Monet-like flower covered wood lot

with ancient lakes and soaring pines in the hills of northern Wisconsin.

Adults scrambled for shade, natural ice tea, a cold Budweiser.

Eagles and squirrels snuggled quietly in nests and high grass.

 The world snoozed.

Almost asleep  – almost but not quite.

A child’s curiosity never sleeps.

Heat and humidity are non entity’s as life’s journey  has just begun.

Flowers, bushes, fallen tree trunks are a new adventure.

Rising to her waist and beyond, long stems of yellow greet her eye to eye.

A mutual hello, how are you? Curiosity, respect, welcome.

Golden wildflowers to be lovingly fondled for the 1^st time – creator’s gifts.

An audible sigh of delight flows from the bed of wildflowers.

Indeed a shriek of glee and amazement.

She reaches out, gently touches the flower. They converse with each other.

Intense, passionate, innocent, playful.

A lifetime relationship consummated in a millisecond.

Adults lovingly observe and are amazed.

Unknowingly  they see their values passed on to another generation.

They marvel at the pure joy residing in the hearts of their offspring.

Proud of her curiosity, beauty and respect for Nature.

“ Lookie at what I found”.. the flower is sooo big.

Exclamations of joy and discovery.

Our memory tapes speed back  through the years.

Attempting to recreate feelings we had at age 2 or 3.

Each corner turned beheld a new jewel. A shriek of joy.

Adults of the carriers of culture, customs, knowledge, values

plus admiration of all that is beautiful and wholesome.

Generation builds on generation.

Reclining on our decks, collectively “ solving the world’s problems”,

Retelling family tales of accomplishments and times passed.

Somehow our childhood sense of wonderment, amazement

Innocence: of 1^st time events are nourished in the pantry of knowledge,

Experience and culture.

Upon finding solutions to life’s problems- do you emote a youthful a ha?

A sense of discovery, a return of innocence> Do you feel the guttural repeat

of joy, heart pounding thrill of a 3 year old bouncing over fallen tree limbs and

through waist high savannah grasses?

Confidence regained? Giddy to see more, hear more, solve more?

No adult singed cynicism or over wrought analysis.

Let us listen to nature and our inner childlike voice revealing the truth about ourselves

Including our limitless capabilities to be spontaneous as the youngest among us in

the flower filled wood lot.

Photo provided by Jim Templin: jtemplin@ymail.com

Childhood Innocence

Child hood Innocence and What it Can Teach Us.

A hot humid day on the flower festooned parcel of wood lot

in the hills of northern Wisconsin.

Adults clamored for shade, ice tea, a cold Budweiser.

Birds and chipmunks snuggled in bushes and high grass

The world was almost asleep.

 

Almost asleep – but not quite.

The curiosity of a child never sleeps.

The weather is a non entity as life has just begun.

 

Flowers, bushes, branches are a new adventure of discovery.

Up to her waist and beyond, long stems of yellow greet her eye to eye.

A mutual hello, respect, welcome.

 Golden wildflowers to be lovingly fondled  for the 1^st time – creator’s gifts.

 

We can detect an  audible gasp

Indeed a shriek of glee and amazement.

She  reaches out, touches the flower, and they talk to each other.

Intense, passionate, innocent, playful , all in a spontaneous millisecond.

 

Adults wisely stand by and enjoy this glory repeated generation to generation.

Marveling at the pure joy of their progeny.

Proud of her curiosity, beauty, and intelligence.

 

“ Look what I found”… The flower is so big.

Exclamations of joy and discovery.

 

Our memory tapes roll back speeding through the decades.

Attempting to recreate the feelings we had at age 4 or 5.

Each corner turned was a new discovery. A shriek of joy.

 

We adults are the carriers of culture, customs,  knowledge

to the next generation.  Generation builds upon the foundation

of those who have gone before.

 

Sitting on our decks,  collectively “solving the world’s problems”,

Retelling family tales of accomplishments and world difficulties,

Somehow that childhood sense of wonderment, amazement,

 Innocence, of 1^st time events are stored in the closet of knowledge

and experience, and educational expertise.

Solutions found to complex problems – do they bring an ah ha!

A sense of discovery, a return to innocence?  Do you feel the guttural

Joy, heart pounding thrill of a 5 year old bounding over fallen trees and

through the waist high savannah grasses . 

Confidence recreated, giddy to see more, hear more, touch more?

No cynicism, or over rung analysis ….

Listening to nature and our inner voice – telling us the truth about ourselves

and our limitless capabilities.

 Question – What can your children/grandchildren teach you??  Please share your responses.

 

 

TODDLERS-TEACHING US IF WE CHOOSE TO LISTEN

“ A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”.
Really?
Looking at a picture of a friend’s granddaughter
I wonder if that truism is accurate!
Take a look: she appears relaxed, confident.
Surrounded by her favorite reading materials of the day.
The “cool’ on her shirt says it all – I am cool and loving it.

What separates this stress free, composed, smiling
child from us older types?
She knows less, has experienced less, has fewer life experiences.
Where did our life’s train run off the tracks into the ravine?

Perhaps innocence is a virtue.. a characteristic that we underestimate.
Or do we under appreciate .
Could it be that the more we know the less we understand?

Innocence resides in the young. Ignorance and the scars of life come with age.
The viral killer of innocence, embracing our neighbors, motivating each other is
The big J = judgment. Judgment requires we define borders, establish fences, and
be aware of the next “ paradigm”. The greys in relationships and in the choices we
make transition into stark blackness and shining whites.

Innocence, with all its risks, looks at people from the perspective of “ what you see is
what you get”. Indeed it is foolish to suggest that is possible to make complex decisions
from the innocent perspective of a toddler. However, for your consideration, —
WHAT DECISION DID YOU MAKE TODAY IF YOU HAD
• LESS BAGGAGE

• LESS OF A PRECONCEIVED OPINION OF THE PERSON ACROSS THE TABLE

• LESS RELIANCE ON YOUR PERSONAL BIASES

• LESS RELIANCE ON CEREBRAL STATISTICS

• MORE INNOCENT FAITH IN YOUR CHILDHOOD INTUITION

• MORE CAPACITY TO BELIEVE IN WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU

• MORE WILLINGNESS TO TELL OTHERS WHAT YOU REALLY THINK AND FEEL

How would your relationship with others be different if you used less “ knowledge”?

Listen to your Inner Toddler