Growing Up

For the past few days, Nelson and I watched the movie Hook as an end of the day study break. For many reasons, as you might guess, this is one of my favorite movies. I love the symbolism, new and old, I find each time I see it. As we watched it this time, I thought of the theme, "growing up." These are some of my thoughts I recorded in my journal.

Throughout childhood there are marked rites of passage. Enthusiasm builds in anticipation for the next event. Dreams and passions evolve through past experiences and prospective futures.

Children - and adults for that matter - are often asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I always love to hear my students and children's responses to this questions. Some of their answers have included: mom, dad, teacher, doctor, lawyer, scientist, engineer, zookeeper, and many more. Yet my favorite response was from Ben last year, "Myself."

I am beginning to realize growing up is not necessarily transforming yourself, but arising to your potential. Growing up means being comfortable about who you are and then share that with others. This can be a difficult feat in the opposition of the negative mind's self-doubt.

Actually, I think growing up causes us to forget. We forget who we are, our self-worth and divine potential. Like Toodles - which means goodbye- we lose our marbles. We are crazy to seek the ability to simply be ourselves. This is a theme Dr. Julie emphasis often with me. She has even drawn a picture of a bee on my hand.

(See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpuG2VBbOlo)

As life unfolds and we are humble enough to seek this pixie dust, we gather our true-self marble by marble. Inside each marble is a glowing ember of pixie dust to regain our self-love and care as God who have us.

I can't help but wonder if "simply being" is not "growing up," but finding your inner child. Maybe it means doing the things you loved to do when you were a child: playing make-believe, wishing upon a star, sleeping with the night light on, dancing to your favorite song, singing out loud, holding a hand, kissing goodbye or good night, finger painting, playing games, stargazing, eating your favorite treat, cuddling, and m any more moments that capture pleasure.

Although I don't have my own children yet, I already hope they stay little forever. I want to memorize their tiny hands and feet, starlit eyes, messy faces, wide-toothed grins, handwritten notes, comfort cuddles, lull of goodnight whispers to their bedtime mate, anxious chuckles, and moments of laughter.

Though there are treasured freedoms with growing up, my happy thought is finding my marbles - ME - so that I can fly to my Neverland in heaven above matching my divine potential.