THE MAGICAL MATCH By Terri White

THE MAGICAL MATCH
By Terri White
 
There’s nothing like the wide-eyed wonder of a child coupled with the wisdom of our elders – they make the perfect complement.

As a toddler, one of our grandsons popped out of bed each morning, exclaiming, “It’s a bootiful day!”  Yes, indeed – every day. 

Recently, two girls were sprawled out on the deck, staring at the clouds drifting by. When their mom stepped outside, the youngest gleefully announced, “We’re playing dead to see if the vultures will swoop down and peck out our eyes!” Sure enough, when mom peered into the sky, vultures were circling over the trees.

Imagine a world in the eyes of a toddler.  Everything is new.  Everything is magical.  From the tiniest insect to the expansive sky, the world remains a place of marvel and mystery. Curiosity pulses through children with awe for the simplest to the most complex.  The delighted squeals in discovery.  The enthusiasm for life. They wonder. They question. They explore. They enjoy. They simply bask in the breath of life. 

Born with an innate wonderment, every human possesses the sense that anything is possible.  It also fuels our imagination. As Albert Einstein eloquently stated, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview for life's coming attractions.”

Curious, we search for answers. Marveling at a caterpillar unfolding into a butterfly to the changing forms of clouds, we wonder, wonder, wonder.  Until. 

Until our wonderment and innocence wither as we grow older.  Sadly, our busy lives often become detached from nature.  Maintaining a sense of wonder, however, helps us stay creative. It enables us to solve problems, which is at the core of scientific inquiry.  While we all won’t become like Albert Einstein, we all do need to be equipped to solve problems. 

“Except you become as little children”, a well-known line in the Bible, is often overlooked.  Children spark life in adults.  Their zest for life becomes contagious.  Their giggles bring joy to our jaded lives. Their innocence infuses hope in this troubled world, making anything possible.

Enter the aged.  Those who have lived several decades.  Those who have seen decades of heartache.  Those who know loss and pain. Those who have gained wisdom through tragedy. Those who have triumphed through it all.  Those who proclaim, “I thought I knew everything, but I now understand that I know very little.” 

Ahhh. Now they have returned to innocence.  To wonderment.  In awe of life. 
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The perfect complement: children and the aged. The magical match. For those of you living in the middle decades of life, pay attention to this pair.  They offer the message of life.