Oh, If I Could Only Be 2 Again!

Today during our Upper Grounds Cafe' at church, I had the joy of chatting with our Youth Pastor's children. Hannah just turned 4 years old, and I was asking her if she had a fun birthday.
I already knew that both sets of grandparents were at her party, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and friends. Hannah is a very serious young lady, and very intense. She is a little lady with blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. She was quite discreet about describing her birthday party to me, and simply said: "I got millions and millions of presents." Her little brother, two-year old Elijah, who is a "rough-and-tumble-100 percent boy" kind of guy was contendedly sipping on a drink from a white styrofoam cup. "Apple juice!" he exclaimed as he held the cup high for me to see. Then, when he had over heard my conversation with big sister Hannah, chimed in: "On my birthday I'm two and I blow out all the candles!" I love the preschool- aged child because they find wonder in the simplest of pleasures....candles, juice, a spider in a corner, a balloon centerpiece, a fresh strawberry---the things us adults gloss over because we're too busy moving on to the next item on our "To Do List."

When Ryan was in kindergarten, I would load up Missy and Matthew in a little red wagon and pull them to the elementary school that was two blocks from our home. They would always point out various interesting sights on the way to the school----a cat sitting in a sunny window, cherry blossoms on a tree, and sometimes Missy would ask me to stop the wagon so she could get out to pick something off the ground...usually a "rolly polly bug" or an injured butterfly. It took us a bit longer to get to school when we had to stop for all the "points of interest", but it forced me to slow down and savor the little things in life that I often take for granted. I was able to enjoy all of God's many creations as I looked through a child's eyes instead of a harried adult.
What a blessing it was to see all of the uniqueness of Creation as if it were a new discovery. I remember taking the kids to a public bathroom and of course there were a million questions: "What are those? (toilet seat covers) What's that box for (receptacle for personal hygiene items)? "Can I have a quarter so I can buy some of those? (personal hygiene items!) And of course there were always those noisy hand dryers that you just loved to hate! Who ever thought that a trip to the restroom at Target could be such an educational experience!

Since we moved up the the mountains (technically, "foothills") I feel like a two-year-old child again, seeing nature in a whole new light. I go for walks in the morning and take a deep breath and I feel like I am at youth camp in the mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho. The air is clean and crisp and the scent of the pines is everywhere. It isn't uncommon to spot a group of deer in the neighbor's yard (or OUR yard as a matter-of-fact) and there are always grey squirrels scurrying across the road and up and down the trees. It is as if I have discovered a whole new world up here. After living in the suburbs of the Bay Area for 10 years, and the Central Valley for 17, it is truly a new experience to live in the "country". There are no streeet lights up here and at night it is pitch black....but look upward and you will see the most fabulous star-filled night sky---it takes your breath away!

So, yes, I am 53-going-on 2. I am hoping I can slow down enough to enjoy this beautiful place I am living in because each year comes and goes faster than the next. I want to be 2 years old again so I can savor all of the intricacies of nature and be excited about each new discovery. But at the same time I will thank God that I am 53 because who would ever want to go through potty training again? Or trying to stop sucking your thumb....or getting rid of your "blankie" or your "ba-ba"....or getting a mean kindergarten teacher.....or going through junior high again....
not me! Being an adult DOES have it's advantages! :)