The Child Within Us

by moodyisajerk (dA)

When we become adults (accept responsibilities, work, pay bills, etc.) we forget an aspect that is nearly inherent in children: an understanding that we don't have all the time in the world-- that an extra five minutes painting and coloring really does have value. You might not be able to get much more done in those five minutes, but you have them and you use them as much as possible. Splash on that  paint, get aggressive with the brush, move the pencil faster. As an adult we want those extra five minutes, we want to run around with friends after school, paint our hearts out, but we allow the daunting load of responsibilities to hold us down. I'm not saying let someone else do the laundry (because there is no one else unless you live with your mother); I'm saying that don't let it consume you. Don't do the laundry and allow yourself to be 'stuck' on the computer because you have that chore to do. Open your mind to what there is to do while you're waiting for that washer to quiet or the dryer to shout.
Kids understand that they need to pick up their room, but they play while they do. When I was little I would pretend my toys were putting themselves away-- which was sometimes terrifying because at one point I thought my dolls needed oxygen so I made sure my Barbie box was cracked open so they could breathe.
When we're little we hold precious the time we have and we make the most of it. "Mom can I ride my bike with Lisa?" "Yes but only for fifteen minutes. Dinner is almost ready." "Okay!"
As adults we often groan at the thought of limited time.
As kids we understand the limitation but we let it go so we can fully enjoy what we have. Perhaps it's comfort in knowing we are given everything we need as a kid. Doing finger painting? Mom bought our finger paints, the paper, the towels, and lined the table with newspaper. She made sure we didn't wear our nicest clothes. All we had to do was show up and stab our fingers in the paint and start swirling.  When everything is there, as kids, we take full advantage. Yet, as adults, there is a delay: we are concerned about a mess, about the bills-- we are absent in that moment when we should be enthralled the way a child is when they get to go to the zoo for a first time.
We forget to believe in the now and we lose something when we don't submit to the child within us-- we lose fun.