It's the simple things....

Quote of the day from miss Avery (5 years old):
Avery: "Amber, Are you a grown-up?"
Me: "Yep, I'm a grown-up"
Avery: "Then why don't you have someone to marry you?"
Me: (pausing to carefully consider how I might answer this question)
Avery (during my pause): "Because you are waiting for just the right special person?


I love kids and their oh-so-simple view on life. When do we lose that anyway?


Today I was thinking about a couple of the funny realities of life. When we are born, we are taken care of, loved unconditionally and provided for in every way. When we cry people hug us, and comfort us and try to fix our brokenness.  We are also required to take daily naps. By the time we hit kindergarten those naps are quickly taken from us, we are asked to work independently and when we cry people tell us to act like a big kid. We are allowed summer break, and recces and lots of time to play. Just years down the road we are presented with even more responsibilities. We are asked to do things completely on our own, and discouraged to ask for help. When we cry it is embarrassing, and we spend much of our "free time" doing things besides playing- such as homework, chores, or other obligations. We are still allowed recess and summer vacation. As we continue to age recess is taken away, and in it's place we are asked to eat fast and hurry back to class. We are expected to do loads of homework each night, and focus less on ourselves and our passions are more on our school work. Summer vacation is still given to us but many of us spend it working a side job to start making money.  Even older... School all day, homework and a job at night. No time for ourselves. No time for our passions. Our lunch is eaten on the go as we are between classes and our summers surely consumed trying to pack hours in to make a little money to pay off those ever accruing loans (more responsibility). Finally, we are thrust into the "real world" where our passions come last, and our career comes first. We often work long hours to prove ourselves, and sometimes even forget who that little child was who used to play all morning, sleep all afternoon and receive endless amounts of hugs and love no matter what decisions we made. Crying is not only embarrassing, but a sign of weakness, and is discouraged in almost every setting. We are expected to be the best for everyone, and at all times. Summer vacations no longer exist, and playing is no longer part of our vocabulary.... And we call it life.


I was reflecting on the fact that the first things to go in my life when I become busy are the things I love to do. Writing, drawing, running, crafting, reading. Why is this? Well, because in our culture, doing things for ourselves gets us nowhere and isn't something that should take up great amounts of our time. It becomes the bottom of our totem pole, the last thing we get to do at the end of everything that is required, everything we call life.