Childlike-ness

 There is a beautiful simplicity in children. It seems to me that it is actually a whole different outlike on life that they have, and a youthful, cheerful acceptance of what goes on. Unfortunately, many people lose this childlike-ness when they grow up, when they are conditioned to anti-childlikeness (also known as realism and reality) by the all-knowing world, and when they lose hope.

 Hope is one of those things that make children childlike. No matter how bad things may be, they bounce back quickly and remain cheerful, because nothing is too hopeless, because nothing seems indomitable. Despair is a strange thing to the child-like, because they believe. They believe strongly, down beneath their conscious awareness, that there really isn't anything that cannot be overcome.

 When I think of childlikeness, I think of Momiji first. Then Jesus. I even think of those naughty rascalls I call my siblings. Even though I know they aren't the most carefree and cheerful younguns, I can atest to the fact that they are full of childlike hope, faith and belief. It's amazing; the things that throw me down to despair hardly daunt them. Sure, they often shed a few tears, but then they bounce back up, ready for another adventure. As for adults, it seems they choose what to believe, what to have faith in, and what to hope on. They seem frantic to keep themselves from being betrayed, hurt, or cast down. They don't want to make a mistake and believe/hope/have faith in something they will be disappointed in, so they make the mistake of not being what some people would call naive.

 See, and here is the part that I think we can learn greatly from, children, childlike children, enjoy the bumps in the road. Childlikeness tries to hit all the potholes, and delight in running through puddles. Childlike childrenare thrilled with thunderstorms, play hide-and-go-seek in shadows, notice the small things in nature, and dance in the rain. Children seek adventure, and try to do the impossible.