“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.

There are seven million.”  -Walt Streightiff

There is an innocence in childhood, a sincere belief that life holds magic, wonder, and beauty to behold. We can learn some things from the children within our life…they hold gifts that can only be shared.

Spending time around children seems to open your eyes to infinite possibilities ..they want to believe in something greater, so they believe in fairies and super heroes. They cherish the littlest things like glass animals and tea sets.  They find happiness held in the magic of an acorn top & fill it with water for the birds or fairies to drink from.  They find friendship in the comfort of a smile, a special handshake or a “pinky promise.”

What can we learn from the children in our lives…here are a few ideas.

BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF SOMETHING GREATER: My daughter finds pure delight in anything magical—leprechauns, the easter bunny, St. Nick…and most of all the belief in fairies. Yesterday she received a small, 3.5 inch resin, baby fairy named “Nolana.”  She instantly wanted to find the magic in everything this little fairy did. She found a old, tiny, china tea set that she placed crumbs of food on for the little fairy. She wrapped the little fairy in a tiny, silk blanket, she nurtured and loved this little fairy like it was real. She wants to believe, her heart yearns to believe in magic that is unseen, something greater.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT: Children seem to enjoy every moment as they swing high on a rope swing, dance constantly on an endless reserve of energy or find pure joy in a giant stuffed marshmallow that is burned to a crisp.

JUST LAUGH: Children laugh 600 times a day compared to an adult who only laughs about 47 times a day. Kids laugh at silly television shows, funny words and jokes, making crazy faces, so do what children do & create some laughter in your life.

AFFECTION: Everyone needs affection, whether its hugs or kisses, share it!! At our house if someone is in need of a little love we sign a special X and O (with our fingers) & we instantly know their love tank needs a little filling.

SAY IT: Everyone needs to hear how much you LOVE them. Little children are great at saying “I Love you.” Make sure you are sharing your thoughts and feelings all the time.

DONT RUN ON EMPTY: On that rare occasion a child may come up empty and finally ready to stop, so they take a nap. Adults seem to go and go and go, with no thought of stopping and taking that needed break. When you begin to run on empty, remember to slow down and take a nap. Don’t look at it like you have too much to do & don’t have time for a nap, instead look at it as a recharge for your day.

DONT BE NEEDY: Children truly don’t need much to be happy. My daughter the other day looked at me and said “best day ever!” I was kind of surprised. I replied with a smile, “Why?” “because we have had time to be together. Just us.”  Children seem to be content with little things like quality time, their big purchases are their favorite ice cream, and they don’t seem to care if their socks are clean or not. (Currently working on this one at our house–smile). Life can be enjoyed on a lot less. Lesson–Enjoy the little things, appreciate those around you.

BE FEARLESS: Children are experts at this. They don’t seem afraid to go head first down a water slide, jump out of a tree onto a trampoline, ride their bike with no hands, have mud fights, sell lemonade on a street corner, talk to strangers or say what they think. As an adult you may need to risk falling, to try something new, to find a way to speak your truth, etc.

CREATE: Children are amazing creators. They color, draw, doodle, write, imagine, collect, treasure – everything!! My daughter finds happiness in a new box of markers, she instantly begins to whirl the colors, to fill in mandalas with great detail and create works of art that no one can duplicate. Children have this natural sense of creating–they do it in everything they do, from chalk drawing on the side walk to the cursive letters in their name. Children are a great example of the creative mind in action. What can you do to be creative today??

WONDER: As we grow we seem to lose our sense of wonder. Children are curious about everything. They are constantly asking questions and looking for answers. As adults we need to get curious and wonder about life, about purpose, about things we wonder about. Take some time to walk in the grass and think about things that matter most to you. Sit under a tree and notice the details around you. WONDER is the first part of making your world truly WONDERFUL.

I hope this post helps you see the gifts your children give.

Have a beautiful day  -Heather