As I begin to grow up, I realize that most adults are too serious, too rigid, or too boxed.

When I say boxed, I mean stuck… willingly. I don’t know. Too caught up in what is to explore what could be. Too wrapped up in the past to enjoy the present. Too busy with the future to deal with what is now.

While growing up, we – ever so slightly- stray from the beauty of childhood and the almost all of the qualities that come with it.

Children are happy, friendly, and curious. They are open-minded, playful, and imaginative. They are expressive, honest, and innocent. They are worry-free, loving, and lovable.

These tiny humans are the quintessential of the humans who live, for they know how to live beautifully.

So what’s our problem? Why can’t we too have these beautiful qualities?

Our lack of childlikeness can be partially attributed to knowledge. When you get older, you gain a deeper insight on life, the world, people, and yourself. You have likes and dislikes, like children do. And then, we add limits and distrust and worries – but the greatest disservice is worry.

We worry about money. We worry about our futures. We worry about what other people think about us. We worry about things that we can’t change.

I guess the biggest step towards childlikeness is to stop worrying. Somehow, we must find the peace to accept the things we can’t change, the strength to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two.

Eventually, we’ll return to the nature with which we were born. No, we shouldn’t abandon adulthood all together. Responsibilities and things of that nature are important. But in order to re-learn how to grow, in order to join the club of quintessentials livers (not the organ), we must become childlike (NOT childish.. know the difference).

So, relax. Have fun. Dream. Create.

Be happy, friendly, and curious. Be open-minded, playful, and imaginative. Be expressive, honest, and innocent. Be worry-free, loving, and lovable.

When I grow up, I want to be childlike.

Forgive my unannounced and unintentional leave of absence. I’ll try my best to keep that from happening again. Be well, my friends.