The snow we received last week, especially that first hit last Tuesday, gave me the opportunity to see pure joy on display.  There’s just nothing like a snow day in the eyes of a school child.  Making my way to work I came across one neighborhood kid after another skipping into hill sledding, snowman making and just the general WOW of the setting.  I remember those days in their shoes.

Now, here we are at Valentine’s Day, and once again the child’s perspective is where it’s at.  My Mom always made a pretty big deal out of this holiday, so maybe I was lucky, but to this point, I’ve never seen a kid who didn’t like Valentine’s Day – the candy, the colors, the cards.  All of that, but mostly it added up to the surprises.  What would it be…in this piece of chocolate… in this card from the girl with the pig tails two rows over…What would it be?

My 9-year old self knew that there were mostly good surprises in store.  Something new and different was almost always good, and sometimes amazing.

Sure, we grow up.  The array of our experience broadens and we learn to see the world a little differently.  Staring down our collective problems is both a necessary and endless task.  I feel thankful that we have the opportunity in our work to help some people and organizations that are trying to address some of that.  Still, taking a clear-eyed view of the world around us can weigh on you at times.

I don’t want to give that up.  I just want to reclaim a little bit of the power of that youthful perspective.

Call me “childish,” but I’m adding another New Year’s resolution to the list.  When and wherever I can I’m going to ask myself about the child’s view.  What is fair?  What is right?  What is good?  They always seem to see things for what they are – and more often than not, they see the good in things.  I’m looking up.

❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day.