The Gift of Little Ones…

Normally, I work with the threes and fours (three and four year olds) as part of my church ministry, but yesterday, I had the distinct pleasure of the twos…As you can imagine, the thought of 15 two year olds in one room for 2hours instantly elevated my resting blood pressure. You would think someone who has lived their life 13-times over would have an edge…All I could think of was the legends of the “terrible twos”. Atleast with the threes and fours we can communicate at a very basic level. Language was a tool that facilitated our interactions.

My work with children has been an incredible experience of my life thus far. I see it as a distinct opportunity and privilege to have a “do-over” of sorts.

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ul> To partake in the joys of self-expression through the eyes of a child is to be rekindled with the authenticity of the spirit.

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ul> The twos experience certainly affirmed this. I prepped before walking into this unknown territory, walking through the classroom doorway I had: 1) sneakers on in case I have to do some chasing, 2) hair pulled back to prevent it being clasped by their notorious iron grip tiny hands, 3) contact lenses instead of glasses…for obvious reasons, and 4) casual clothing that were easy to clean in expectation of a seemingly impossible staining accident guaranteed to happen . I quickly mumbled “Lord help me”, under my breath, took on a joyful spirit and a big smile…walked in with a cheerful “Hello!!”… Immediately, I was whisked away by a little one barely rising above my knee…

Overall, it was a wonderful adventure. To reconnect with the beauty of carefree creative play. To be sensitive to their unspoken needs and quickly respond appropriately. (particularly when one utterance or phrase is used for almost everything). To just hold them, love on them, and soothe away their distress from being separated from a parent. The best soulful rejuvenation ever!

The next time you are around a little one, I invite you to truly just share their world. See the world through new excited eyes as they discover the vastness of the world around them. May the renewed sense of childlike optimism, creative expression, and spirit of contentment in the moment be your guide as you journey through life. The little ones are truly a reminder of the attitude we are to carry throughout life…imagine, believe, and enjoy it.

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ol> The greatest expressions are non-linguistic, but a connection of sprit-to-spirit.