New Perspectives

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When did many of us stop running with arms wide open to see someone we love?  I know that some of us can’t run like we used to because our bodies won’t let us.  I know that some of us have been hurt, so even thinking about open arms leaves us too vulnerable and too exposed.  I know that kind of enthusiasm and wide open wonder gets looked upon with a certain amount of suspicion as we age.

We have structures in place within society that teach proper behaviour and the right way to greet someone.  Families do that.  Schools do that.  Workplaces do that.  Cultural norms do that.  This is necessary and vital for our communities.  They teach us how to respect others and protect vulnerable people.

And yet, what might change if a few more of us lived with the freedom of a two year old child?  The kind of freedom belongs to spontaneous gestures of love for those we love.  Asking lots of questions because there is so much to learn.  Dressing in clothes that feel good, regardless if they are a perfect match.  Going barefoot more often.  Singing our favourite song, whether we are on key or not.  Not fussing too much about our hair. 

It would be naïve to think that being two is ideal.  There are a lot of things about being two that are good to leave behind.  What I notice, though, about adults who are around a two year old child is that the adults become freer.  These children, by being themselves, elicit a responsiveness that lies dormant within many of us.  We are woken up by life.  We are woken up to the life in front of us.

You and I may not be able to spend much time around two-year-old children during the week.  We may not have the time, the energy or the circumstances which lend themselves to such an interaction.  Yet the wide open wonder for life remains a ready invitation.

There may not be a lot of us running down the street with our arms outstretched.  There may be a few of us, though, whose lives have been opened up because someone else is living freely, uninhibited by life’s expectations.  If you know someone like this, stay close to them, they have discovered one of life’s hidden treasures.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011