Little Children are Great Teachers

girl doveWhat does it mean to become like little children? Jesus taught that we should do this, but what does it mean? They really are great teachers. I think Jesus was on to something.

When I look at very young children, I see people who live in the present moment. They know how they feel and they don’t make any judgments that they ought to be feeling something different, they simply feel. They also don’t get stuck on the way they feel, simply feeling their feelings and then releasing them and then moving on to the next experience. They seldom hold a grudge for long. And they don’t live in regret.

They love. Completely, purely. They don’t withhold love based on whether some condition or another is met, their hearts are simply wide open to everything and everyone.

Children live in a state of wonder. Every new thing and even things they have encountered before are met with pure appreciation and joy. Their eyes, hearts and minds soak in every experience knowing that each detail is a marvelous thing to behold. They are full of gratitude for the smallest of things. All things are miracles to a child.

They are fascinated with the world. They are endlessly curious. They are ravenous to ask questions and inquire deeply about how things work, how they work, how other people and the world works. This curiosity is an innocent wondering, not driven by dark dissatisfaction as it often is in adults, but instead by the love of shining the beacon of consciousness on all that they can.

A child is not afraid of magic. They recognize that magic is all around us and in us. They see the magic that we literally swim in and they have found no reason to be afraid of that. They still understand that it is a part of us.

Children know to make beautiful use of every moment, living it fully. They play, they laugh, they sing, they dance, they cry. They do everything with great abandon. Nothing gets held back in the life of a little child.

Children know to rest. As much as a young child fully gives herself to her waking moments, she also fully drops into sleep when her body needs that. Children sleep the sleep of those with no worries. Watch them sleep and you will see peace.

Children ask for what they want and need. They have no qualms about this. There is no guilt. They don’t feel afraid for being who they are. They are not ashamed. They may not always be given want they ask for, but they are not afraid to ask.

Children are infinitely wise. They may be naive to the harsh ways and customs we have created for ourselves in our world, but they are wise in spirit. We can learn a great deal from these tiny teachers, if we are not in too big a hurry to teach the wisdom out of them.