Those of us who are truly blessed with children can attest to the fact that they are never clones of ourselves. Surely, on more than one occasion, we wish they could do some of the things we did as children, or enjoy some of the games, hobbies or interests we had. We even encourage this with gifts of whatever we liked, or the dreams we pursued. Somehow they manage to go on their merry way, and leave us standing in the dust to hope that they will be happy with the lives they have chosen. If you have more than one child, then multiply these feelings by just as many.

The world is run by adults. We make the laws and we enforce them. We create the products and we market them. We decide who does what and when. We tolerate some behavior and condemn others. We judge, decide, and act as adults.

Now enter the world of a child. It is as colorful as a box of crayons, as bright as the sunshine, and as warm as a favorite quilt or blanket. In the heart of a child lives hope, dreams, goals, ambitions, and destinations. These heart-held attributes change with time and sometimes when these children reach adulthood, these hopes and ambitions are totally changed, sometimes by choice and sometimes not.

Look into the eyes of a child and you have a glimpse of the destination of the world. Take them by the hand and you place yourself at the mercy of sweet smiles, bear hugs and moist kisses. They may smudge you with dirty hands yet those fingerprints leave a mark of confidence that the world will continue to turn and there is a chance that it will get better.

A child is a mixture of generations before them and yet they have their own distinct impact on the future. They may be small in statute but they are giants in creativity. They can fly on a magic carpet as easily as we drive a car. They can spin tales of delight, while we lament the past. Children climb the ladder of life and hope to reach their castles in the sky. They are clever, original, and have a vision that they carry in their souls.

Where is the point that we change from being the miracle of a child to the practical, down-to-earth, adult that tolerates no nonsense, is too busy to watch a firefly, and misses the delight of a spider spinning his web? I don’t believe everyone attains this transformation at the same time. Some blame it on life while others point to their parents, environment, or even their heritage. If we find that we can no longer sit down and find humor in a misshaped clay figure, or realize that the crayon marks are not “outside” the lines, but that they are only an expansion of what could possibly be, then take a child by the hand and let them lead you back into a realm where anything is possible and everything is probable. Enter the land where everything lends itself to be transformed into whatever you would like it to be.

So, why do we have a Children’s Day? Could it possibly be because we realize that we are children for such a short time and we are adults for the rest of our lives? Do we feel in our hearts that we have to step back into a world where color, sparkle, and enchantment allows us to reclaim dreams, renew our hopes, and a small hand will help us find ourselves? Are we really celebrating children or does the world need to realign its visions and build better castles in the sky? Isn’t Children’s Day really a day for the whole world to appreciate life and really see what it has to offer? Are we finally beginning to realize that we carry our childhood in our hearts and that when we rekindle our acquaintance with what we were, our steps are a little lighter, our smiles are brighter, and our world resembles a box of crayons.

©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 May

(An excerpt from Celebrate a Child by Arleen M. Kaptur)

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