A couple of weeks ago, I decided to challenge myself and take a photo of the innocence of childhood, everyday. I started out with the goal of 30 days, but now that I am half-way there, I have decided to extend the challenge for the length of the entire summer.
I am going to post a photo of children doing something that we, as adults, normally completely overlook. To children, the world is still new. Everything around them is an adventure just waiting to be discovered. They don’t allow the stress of everyday life deter them from enjoying the “now”. I hope you follow me on my challenge and join me in celebrating the little things. Live in the now. Be a Kid.
Day 1: Take time to stop and admire the seashells.
Day 2: Jump on the bed, with all your might; and for that split second,enjoy the fleeting moment of weightlessness and giddiness.
Day3: Grab your best friends and do something daring.
Day 4: Love unconditionally. Tell your loved ones that you love them. No strings, no complications, no conditions. Just love in it’s simplest, purest form. Love like a kid.
Day 5: Love your reflection. You are beautiful, you are unique and there is no one else in the world exactly like you. Love the person staring back at you in the mirror. Love yourself.
Day 6: Hold close to those that are dear. Let them know they are loved . Like a child with their favorite toy, or beloved blanket, let your loved ones know how much you love them.
Day 7: Stick your finger in the icing or grab a spatula and clean the bowl. Those calories don’t count if you’re standing.
Day 8: Play hard. If you have never found yourself passed out next to the loo…you’re doing it wrong. hahaha
Day 9: If you’re bored, pretend you don’t know how to jump rope. Proceed to give your father a bright pink, fluffy, jump rope and then watch, amused, as he tries to teach you to jump rope.
Day 9: Say you’re sorry. Even if you have the teeniest amount of guilt in your heart, apologize. Never go to bed knowing that you have purposely hurt someone’s feelings or have let your emotions get the best of you, without apologizing and righting your wrongs.
“There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscious.” – French Proverb
*Extra brownie points if you swipe your mother’s lipstick and leave kisses on a “sorry” note.
Day 10: Feed your Dinosaur. A nice, healthy, meal generally consists of Barbie-dolls, Lego blocks and Match-Box cars. Make sure you’re diligent with his feeding schedule or he might just turn into a monster.
Day11: Always find wonder in the beauty of thunderstorms. If, by chance, lightning strikes nearby and the thunder is deafening…feel free to say “AHH! THAT LIGHTNING WAS SO LOUD, IT SCARED MY HEART OUDDA MY TUMMY!” hehe
Day 12: Be nice to your furry companions.
Side note: Our cat, Freddie, is 14 years old and seriously thinks that the kids are her kittens. 10 years ago, I went to the animal shelter to get a cat for my grandmother. While I was standing there, waiting for the woman to get the cat my grandmother had seen on their website, this little paw reaches through her cage and places it on my shoulder. I turned around and there was this beautiful gray striped tiger cat. The employees told me how she had been there so long and they were going to have to euthanize her because everyone wants kittens and no one wants a grown cat. I walked out with two cats that day. She has been the best companion and I hope we have many more years to love her.
Adopt /Rescue your next pet. There’s so many that need good homes and I couldn’t imagine not having Freddie in my life, helping my husband and I raise “her kittens”.
Day 13: Be a ninja. Sneak around, stealthily, clad in jeans that are too big, your dad’s favorite hat and your nerf gun. Creep around while dodging behind walls and make “pew, pew” noises when shooting intergalactic centipedes that are invading the countryside.
Day 14: Never lose your sense of wonder. #AmericasBirthday #Happy4thofJuly
