I am a young adult. I have experienced a small percent of what life has and will bring to me. The false belief in growing up and leaving childish things behind leaves me wondering. I wonder about the thoughts of kids and even the thoughts of my younger self.
Life is big and scary. The tall and supposed wise around you direct your mind when it is still learning how to take in the world around you. People have said over and over again how adults can forget what it is like to be a child, but I don't believe in this idea.
When you understand the world more and more while you physically grow and leave behind traces of frailty, you still have the piece of a kid in your soul. It may be silly when a child is afraid of the dark and the looming threat of mythical beasts lurking about, but to them, it is all too real at the time.
We often patronize them unknowingly and downplay the fears by playing a part in the play of life. Show them the closest and remind them there is no such thing as the boogeyman, but does this truly do anything for them? Or is it just for us? I would honestly think more of the later. It is easy to dismiss the insane with the scientific, but a child's world is magically insane and sometimes incredibly brilliant.
Patience is lost in the battle between confronting the truth that lies in front of the small face before you. You want some silence, some sleep, interruption by the unlocking of a door by the child's parents who thank you as their babysitter. No matter the age or relation to the child, the feelings and fears remain.
Life goes on and kids learn. But the value comes in how we treat their fears and feelings in the mystical or mental trials they may face. If I could bottle that pure brilliance of imagination, then I would. But for now remember your childhood fears, brilliance, and beliefs.
These things shall not only carry you forward but develop the confidence in the youngest ones around you. For it is incredibly wonderful to feel valid, especially as a child in your strangest times.
