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| A Rebirth of Wonder |
Children are us, three-to-eight decades ago, before we became so bewildered by the realities of this world that we simply stopped looking at them.
We often count on children to be the court jesters of our lives. They say adorable things and have no idea how funny they are. . . . Yet these are actual human beings. And they are coming to see the world as it really is. Which is an exacting and terrifying experience. . . .
People sometimes . . . approach small children as miniature gurus. They imply that children can tell us the answers to the world's problems if we just get on their level and listen. We hear that children will be the ones to save us from cancer, racism, and global warming.
Of course, this is a lot to ask of them. Especially in a world marked by so much hopelessness and strife. Children will lead us in the next world because, God willing, they will not have been disillusioned by this one yet. They will remind us of a time when the small, sweet tangible things still meant something. They will ask us to go back to that moment when we felt safe.
Sarah Condon
from her book Churchy (121 - 123; see also)
A real - life example from my grandson:
On Valentine's Day, I picked up Ellie (4) and Aidan (2) from pre - K, and as soon as they got home they were having so much fun looking at everything in their Valentine bags. Aidan was holding up a card, as if he were reading it, and I asked him “what does it say?”
His answer: “It says ‘I love you Aidan.’”
♥
