During Mother’s Day weekend our whole family took an evening walk in our neighborhood. We were almost at the top of “our” mountain when we passed an old tree to our left. My youngest son, who is 16, looked at me and then at the tree. “I dare you”, he said and started walking towards the tree. He never thought I would follow him, he did not know me when I was a child.
A jolt of pure happiness came with just the thought of climbing a tree. That feeling made no room for hesitation. Soon enough we were both climbing the tree. One teenager, and the other one a middle-aged woman. At that very moment we were both kids, who saw the world with wide-eyed curiosity.
With butterflies in my stomach as I made my way up the tree, my whole inner self was thrown back to a time when I every summer used to climb trees together with my best friend. Always with a nervous excitement and a happy heart.
This time I took my time and stopped climbing at one pint to take it all in. I saw the beauty of where I live, the never-ending ocean in front of me and the mystic mountains to my back. A freeing sense of wonder rushed through me.
With all the responsibilities of being an adult that inner child was still with me. I am grateful to my son who has not lost his sense of still bringing out the child within, and I hope he will keep doing it. His "I dare you", made me feel alive, and my heart was smiling.
So go out there and climb a tree today, or whatever you used to do as a child with a happy heart. You will be surprised how wonderful the moment will be when you let your grown up guard fall to the ground. Never lose your sense of wonder!