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Kid Stuff |
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by Tom Gilbert © copyright
2003
“Ruff ruff!”. I crawl along
the carpet and peak around the corner into the hall. “Arf,
woof, grrrr…”
Little high-pitched barks return to me. Soon I hear a giggle or two. I turn the corner
and scramble on all fours towards my niece, turn her over and give
her a good ole’ fashioned tummy rub. She laughs
hysterically, rolls away and rises to her knees and
holds her hands…er, I mean her “paws” in
front of her and pants like a good doggie.
What’s going on here? A sneak attack of silliness? Harmless immature childplay?
Exactly
There is real therapeutic value in such behavior.
The world is so serious most of the time. Take a break
from all that adult responsibility. Lower your height
and your expectations. Engage in a little kid stuff.
When was the last time you stared at an ant hill?
Without the insecticide, mind you.
How about lying on your back to make out shapes from
the clouds floating overhead?
Playing hide n’ go seek, tag and kickball are all good, too. Me, I even like
circling the backyard with my arms outstretched and calling to the tower
for clearance to land.
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Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is no great revelation.
You’ve heard it countless times, I’m sure. No less than the “King of Kings” was fond
of telling people to be like a little child to get access to and an appreciation
for the Kingdom of Heaven.
artwork by Jean Keaton
and is copyrighted - do not reproduce without permission. You can
order prints through www.keatonprints.com
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For those of you with children or grandchildren
I imagine you are all nodding your heads in agreement.
Or wistfully looking off in the distance remembering
the last time you rocked a hobby horse, slid down a hill
on a cardboard box or had imaginary tea.
When we let go of our serious day-to-day agenda and
give ourselves permission to be silly something remarkable
happens. Big problems get smaller. Little things become
significant. Attitudes change. Smiles appear.
This is a gift. Do we recognize it as such? It’s
a marvelous present to us to be able to recapture the
innocence of youth. It’s hard to hold on to once
we get a taste for grownup life. All those responsibilities,
concerns, cares and selfish desires can (and do) weigh
us down.
All the more reason to engage in some kid stuff.
Make it a point to let your inner child play. Spend more time daydreaming. Get with
your kids, or grandchildren, nieces, nephews or cousins. If you don’t have
any little ones to call your own then visit friends
who do. Or hang out at a park and feed the ducks. Ride
a bike on a tree-lined trail, watch a little league
ballgame, make a sandcastle at the beach or fly a kite.
If there are kids nearby you might even get some of
that “kid stuff” by association.
Dedicated to my niece, Brandy, on her 5th birthday,
7/24/03 |
Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered
trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either
trademark for the offering of goods or services requires
the prior written consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used
by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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JOHN 15:11 |
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"I have told you this so that my joy may be in
you and that your joy may be complete."
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(NIV) |
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