“I wish I was back to being younger,” my eleven-year-old granddaughter said to me on a recent visit.  We were sitting on a bench outside, admiring the beautiful day.

“Oh?” I asked, wondering how much younger than eleven she would like to be and why.  No specific age was mentioned as I’m not sure it was clear in her own mind.

“When I was younger, everything was just so magical!”  she said wistfully, like she had lost something she cherished. Her disappointment in the ordinariness of life was evident. As I pressed further, she seemed to lose interest in the topic altogether.  It had been a fleeting thought that never quite settled long enough to be fully explored.

It got me thinking though and I’ve been mulling it over ever since.  Has life lost its magic for me?  Have I kept myself so busy that I’ve become numb to life’s beauty all around me?  Do I get lulled to sleep even during wakefulness by the sameness of my days? 

To be sure, there is a certain amount of routine to my days that is very good. It’s what keeps me sane.  When there is too much out-of-the-ordinariness, it can feel like I’m on a merry-go-round, pleading to get my feet back on solid ground.  It seems that to truly be alive and healthy, I need a little of both.

Is it possible that only young children see the “magic” of life?  They are in awe of everything because each event and encounter is fresh and new.  There are so many firsts which lead to so many questions.  I doubt that little children spend much time thinking about the past or pondering the future.  They are so immersed in the here and now that they fully experience each moment as it presents itself to them.  Perhaps that is where the magic lies…in the present moment.

I love the “nuggets of wisdom” my grandchildren unknowingly bestow on me.  They remind me of where I once was and where I need to find my way back to.

How can I recapture some of the “awe” I experienced in childhood?  How can I become more child-like and wake up to all that’s good and beautiful around me?  Questions worth pondering for sure…

Thank you my dear, sweet girl!

~SuZanne
InSearchOfAuthenticity.com
© 2023 Zanne