It has come to my attention that most everyone I know is too keen on growing up. Very few take the time to appreciate day-to-day life and all the beauty that comes with it. Just here recently, I was watching another of my favorite movies, Under The Tuscan Sun; And in light of the main character overreacting about everything going wrong in her future endeavors, a new, dear friend recites, "No matter what happens, always keep your childish innocence. It's the most important thing." These words really resonated with me and how I've been looking at my days from now on.
Here are a few ways to keep your childish innocence:
Going to the park. Whether you run around the perimeter with your dog or swing on the swings for 50 minutes, the park is a staple childhood hangout that has no age limit.
Getting messy while cooking. Cooking with mom has been always been a learning experience, but it doesn't always have to be a clean one. Get messy, you can clean it up later.
Asking questions. If you haven't noticed, a part of what makes a kid's spark so lit is their constant curiosity and wonder. It's not hard to learn something new every day.
Eating more ice cream than you can taste. The time to obsess over calories and food is not now. Eat the ice cream- you will thank you later.
Playing board games with family and friends. Getting wrapped up in electronics, we can forget that board games and DVDs even exist. Pop in an old movie, set up a game of Clue, Life, or Sorry, and get playing.
Standing on stools to reach things. Especially if you are short like me, it is a guarantee that a stool is laying around somewhere. Who knew reaching could be so fun.
Playing with flowers. As much as there are people, there are breeds and breeds of flowers. Go to a local flower farm/grower and pick out a few. A bad day is officially banned.
Coloring. Surprisingly, this is kind of a trend right now. Print out a few coloring sheets or buy a book from the store and let your mind go outside of the lines.
Getting outside. With the coming of age, you can become stagnant and forget how to open your back door. Sit outside, make some calls, plant some flowers, you get the idea.
Laughing. Things don't need to always be serious. Laugh (live) a little.
Here's to being a kiddo again.