Life lessons from a 5 year old..
Once upon a time, I remember being told, “Melanie, someday in the future, you will learn some valuable life lessons from your children”, at the time, I recall doing the ‘smile and wave’, walking away and thinking, “it’s ok, that’s just the kind of thing parents say to non-parents to make them want to become parents like them”.
Now, quite frankly, I love children and do one day plan to have my own. No secret there. Little warm bundles of giggles who, like peachy sponges, soak in details of the world around them with wide eyed amazement. Details that us grownups probably don’t even notice anymore. I mean, it seems that whether it’s the tiniest of worker ants or the beaten up cardboard box their Mom’s vacuum cleaner came in, life seems to be nothing short of a fascinating adventure, filled with endless discovery for the miniatures among us. That said, to the above statement, skeptical, I remained. After all, if ’with time comes wisdom’, isn’t it the responsibility of the old to teach the young about life?
Enter Cicely Grace.
5 and a half years ago my eldest sister introduced her beautiful, golden haired, firstborn to the world. My niece, Cicely. Now, since the day of her birth, Cicely has always been something of a sparkling human whirlwind. Her name pronounced like the Italian island so famous for its vibrancy and colour, Cicely is a little girl very much like her namesake. Full of zest, she laughs, dances, smiles and pretty much befriends everything breathing, stuffed with fluff and in between. Granted, I am biased. How can I not be, she’s my fun little buddy, my fellow booty shaker that would give Beyonce a run for her money and the definitive of bomb.com in every single book out there. That all said there’s certainly something way more significant about this little girl than all the things I’ve mentioned. She lives a life that is totally uninhibited.
Oblivious to prejudice, caring not for the opinions of others or what the world would have to say about the way she looks, acts, speaks; she is beautifully unaffected by the one thing that with time and age we all become far too aware of with. Ourselves. She is free of superficial insecurities, doesn’t live based on having been informed of or judged by her limitations and boldly faces everyday with the confidence that she is everything spectacular that those who love her have told her she is and can conquer anything she puts her mind to.
So, my life lesson from a 5 year old? To live simply. To live freely. To have the kind of self belief that isn’t based on the prejudice of others I know, the media or frankly anyone who would have a voice that would shut down or destroy. Much like Cicely we all, although perhaps no longer 5 years old with pig tails, were intentionally created, so why not be proud of the everything we are and own our space a little? When did we stop being WHO we were when we were 5 anyway?
The fact is, we didn’t.