In the following post I am going to participate in the be like children initiative, proposed by @miriannalis, since it is a theme that I have always liked, starting among other words of inspiration from those left to us by Jesus Christ when he says that we must be like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Cfr. Mt 18:3). This is something that I often seek to apply in my life, even though entering into adulthood and assuming responsibilities is not at all easy or simple, this is precisely where the value of making this effort lies and what makes it worthwhile.

Developing the previous quote, there is an author (Von Balthasar in "Si no os hacéis como este niños") who writes about the meaning of the phrase, among his reflections he emphasizes that being children is not the same as being childish, since it does not imply the immaturity of this stage of our lives, but to recover certain attitudes that are common at this age, but that we have left behind with the passage of time. Among these, I would like to mention the following:

Wondering always

One of the things I like about children is their eternal questioning about things, there is a constant questioning that they do to their elders, that is, why, why this or that, why the other? It is because at this stage we begin to discover new realities, which cause us admiration, and to which we react with a spontaneous and not at all malicious curiosity. This is something that the routine of everyday life and getting used to things makes us lose as the years go by, so I try to marvel again and again at what surrounds me and, above all, at the moments of sharing with other people.

So, for example, it is not just another day but a new opportunity, a new page to write in my life story. It is not just another conversation or routine meeting, but one that has its own characteristics and from which I nourish myself because although we are always the same, we are not the same in the same way. Letting myself be surprised by reality and by others is, therefore, something that keeps me a child.

Living in the moment

Children don't live stressed or worried about tomorrow, that's what their parents and older people are for, that's their responsibility, it's up to them to live in the moment and enjoy it. That is why one of the scenes that give me the most inner peace is to see children playing and laughing as if there is no tomorrow. The hustle and bustle of modern times and the burdens of everyday life have made us lose the emotion of the moments, so making a stop, having spaces for relaxation is something I seek to cultivate, in one way or another.

This is perhaps one of the things that is most difficult for me, but that without a doubt I try to integrate in my days, since to enjoy I have learned that I do not only have to be playing or at a party, since if I do things with heart and passion, "one day at a time", I live them in another way, which motivates me and fills me with enthusiasm as when I was a child, biologically speaking, ;).

Trust in the good

Another important characteristic of childhood is the dependence on another person, one in whom we trust, because we do not feel that he/she is going to do something bad to us, a person with whom we feel safe. As the years go by, and because of bad experiences in life, this trust in others diminishes, which makes us lead a life full of insecurities and without giving us the opportunity to discover the good that others can offer us, because we already assume that whoever addresses us, comes with a bad intention.

But what if this is not the case, sometimes we don't even give ourselves the opportunity to doubt this bad intention, and rather, give the benefit of the doubt to this supposed evil. In my personal experience, I have learned and grown a lot from this perspective, because in the end we all have a little bit of evil and goodness together, let's highlight and trust in the greater effectiveness of the latter.