innocence

My kids are currently in a state of innocence, they stand on the cusp of adult thought. I want them to hang on to innocence as long as possible. Selfishly I have been enjoying seeing the world through their eyes... Seeing the clouds as animal forms, seeing the black squirrel dash along the telephone line as though it were a super highway, seeing the bright orange lacrosse ball mostly hidden in the hedge, the ability to laugh and chuckle at a joke only they are thinking... skipping along instead of walking with no self consciousness, feeling that the world is good and fair and safe each time they are kissed good night. Once they enter the realm of adult thought they will be drawn by those unenviable distractions of money, stuff, sex, negativity, self-consciousness, provincial “ness”, competition, and the differences that divide us.

I want to say to all the friends of my kids – wait, stay innocent as long as you can because sooner than you can imagine you will experience that deep ache in the pit of your stomach that comes with a broken relationship, that seemingly bottomless sadness that comes from injustice...

I want my kids to know that sex is an action that has consequences...that in the too early years of teenagehood – it takes far more than it gives you...which is confusion, emptiness, and desire for more of the same. But that sex savored as a celebration of relationship is a wonderful time honored connection that can be fondly remembered and recalled until your dying day.

What is really interesting to me is that adults spend the majority of their life craving the innocence of youth. In holidays, in relationships, in beliefs, in presidential and prime ministerial candidates, in feelings of security, in birthdays and celebration... Even in marketing and advertising I have found myself moving toward storytelling with honesty and visual references that are akin to children’s books [think picture on side, text on the other] for deeply felt emotional response. Moving away from loud overt, busy, wowwy, faddish references. I am drawn to the innocent connection from me (us) to you... Stories to jog your memory, your mind, your belief in a kinder gentler world.

A just this minute realization: Those of us adults who managed to negotiate our passage to being adult, while keeping our innocence intact, are drawn to each other in an act of self preservation. We are believers in infinite possibility, we expect the best and are unpleasantly surprised by a different outcome. We tend to weigh and measure fun and spirit as necessary to our existence - as is water and oxygen. We can spot each other at 50’ and we gravitate to one another – members of an exclusive Club of Innocence.

This mother prays that her kids will grow to be healthy, independent, card-carrying members of the Club of Innocence.