At what point in our formative years do we shed the open acceptance of a child and begin forming that judgmental and often skeptical adult outlook? Everything is a new learning experience for a child. And they eagerly explore the new and unknown with welcoming abandon. Why do we as adults seek to exclude those who are different than ourselves? Why do we choose to seek out differences only to punish them rather than embracing them? Why do adults forget how to see the world through the accepting and loving eyes of a child?
This post has caused me to reflect on how our lives are like bell curves, so as we age, we become, once again, more like we were when we first came into this world: curious, trusting, open, and welcoming to those who are different from us. This is why grandparents and even great-grandparents can often connect with their children’s children because they have more time, less stressed by trying to make a living and a life. Older age is a time to reconnect with our childlike selves, curious, open, trusting, kind and caring of others, no matter how different we may seem on the surface.
Thank you, Pam, for your insight and wisdom! As always, you add so much to this site by offering other readers heartfelt thoughts and inspiration to be the best that we can be today and every day to come.