Regaining a Sense of Wonder
Recently I looked after my two year old grandson when his parents took a much needed vacation. It was a magical week!
I had forgotten so many things in my busy quest to be efficient, tidy, frugal and all those other relatively unimportant, boring, absorptive chores that we fill our lives with. Never enough time…
Life through the eyes of a two year old can only be described as one filled with wonder…and what a lens that is!!
How many times did I hear the word "Wow" as I turned on the outdoor Christmas lights. Then gazing at his face lit up brighter than the bulbs and looking again at my lights, I felt a new appreciation for their colour and brightness and how they brought a happiness to the night and to my grandson's heart. A small but poignant moment that I had not felt for years.
And the list goes on: seeing the new moon, seeing the moon disappear behind a cloud, watching the cat groom himself, all these things done with intense observation followed by questions and always unbridled enthusiasm. When did we forget to take time to wonder?
When raising children, every age presents amazing gifts for us. It seems to me that in the carousel of life we often get mired in the challenges and sometimes miss the riches. Easy to do.
The ultimate joy of spending time with a two year old is sharing their innocence and their pure and sweet view of the world. It is like a flower opening, the crisp first page of a new book, the feel of new flannelette sheets, the smell of bread coming out of the oven. It brings us comfort and a warm feeling in our heart and, at a time when there are so many sad and incredibly disturbing things happening in the world, it brings us hope:hope found in these new little fertile minds and the lessons they have for us.
As I head into the new year I feel that I am looking, listening and feeling differently. I believe, in some small way, through my time with a precious two year old, that I have regained my sense of wonder, and as Robert Frost wrote, '… and that has made all the difference."
