Innocence is So Much More

I sat at my computer today trying to craft a social media plan, finalize an upcoming presentation, tackle a new blog post, and work on a draft for an upcoming print publication deadline. During this time, I was interrupted no less than four times by my daughter and her friend. Typically, I would have found this distracting and annoying, to put it mildly. Today, I found it adorable to be shown the multiple musical instruments and endless costume changes.

It suddenly hit me that the innocence within children provides so much more fun than being an adult. Children have a clean slate. As parents, we are hoping to teach them well while trying not to scar them for life. Don’t we all hope to prolong this innocence for as long as possible, rather than let the world steal it far too early?

Innocence as a Shield

The laughter coming from my daughter’s bedroom as a write is infectious. The smile I have on my face is one I haven’t smiled in quite a while. During a time filled with doom and gloom headlines, the innocence of a playdate provides so much more serenity in my day. My daughter and her friends are well aware of the pandemic. She asks daily when the virus will be over, as though it is a bad movie. While mask sewing, social distancing, and extreme handwashing have become popular sports in many households, children are still somewhat shielded from the ever-present ramifications of today’s world.

The Power of Play

When the unprecedented last school year came to an end, many parents were left pondering: “What do we do about the summer?” Some struggled to find any form of camp or childcare to get back to work. Others carried on with summer vacation in a business as usual fashion.

We chose to do nothing but dip our feet back into the new world slowly with regular activities and playdates. There have been days I wondered if this was the best choice for my little one. Today, watching two girls play, laugh, and entertain each other for hours, I knew our decision was the right one. The concerts performed, art created, music composed, and laughter I witnessed were enough to make anyone so much more grateful for the innocence of children. Today had no plan, no structure, and no activity, yet plenty of fun, when fun is currently hard to come by.

Kindness Prevails

Children can often be cruel, and the “mean girls” phenomenon seems to begin at an early age. Today, this was not the case. All I could see were two children supporting each other, playing, laughing, loving one another, and their beautifully innocent lives. Today was full of blissful smiles inside a playroom far from the world of pandemic dashboards, masks, healthcare settings, political debates, racial injustices, and global economic issues outside the front door.

We could learn so much more from our children if we allow ourselves to see the world through their eyes. They wear rose-colored glasses that paint the world in a beautiful, peaceful, and innocent light. I can only hope this outlook on life continues a while longer for my daughter, her friends, and all children. After all, they deserve so much more from the world than what 2020 has provided thus far.