As a child, you see the world through different, more innocent lenses. Bright spots are all around you. There are no adult worries or stressors. I can think back and see bright spots in things that I now, as an adult, take for granted.
We had a huge Mimosa (Persian Silk Tree) in our backyard when I was a child. It provided shade and I thought the pink pom-pom flowers were beautiful. I have a vivid memory of taking a chapter book outside and sitting under that tree. The ground beneath it was blanketed with the pink pom-pom flowers. As I sat, reading, a slight breeze caused the branches above me to dance and the pom-pom-like flowers would float down to the ground. I remember thinking it was magical.
On sunny, spring days my mother would open all the windows in the house and a cool breeze filled every room. The curtains waved as the breeze entered through the windows. I would stop, briefly, and watch them sway as I felt the breeze move around me.
Who can forget the magic of Christmas as a child. One of my favorite things was sitting in the living room with all the lights turned off, except for the lights on our Christmas tree. Multi-colored bright spots (literally), flashing and lighting up the room with joy and wonderment.
As an adult, I can’t remember the last time I took a book outside to read. I can’t remember the last time I stopped to genuinely appreciate a cool breeze shifting through each room of the house. The holidays are so busy with planning and preparing as an adult, that I never make time to just sit and take them in.
Adulthood seems to barrel towards us so quickly that we get swept up in it and the bright spots seem to shrink. We are overexposed to the news now, which doesn’t help. We become desensitized to the violence, the hate, and the injustice. Many become complacent once they’re in the throws of adulthood.
We spend our days performing tasks and focusing on routines. There are adults who never step out of their comfort zones and if the routine is changed, they aren’t happy about it. We no longer learn new things or challenge ourselves. Many begin to lack ambition and even curiosity. They become stagnant.
We started out as excited, ambitious, curious little humans who found joy in the smallest things. With adulthood, the curtain is pulled back and we see a man who was pretending to be the wizard. Innocence decays and is replaced by jadedness, cynicism, and awareness.
The sophistication of adulthood isn’t as charming as it sounds when you’re a child. This world we inhabit is dark. It is overflowing with hate, anger, disease, loss, and pain. That curtain has been pulled back and you see the truth through more mature eyes. No more fairy tales, no more happy endings, no more innocence. Most days of adulthood, especially right now, it seems as if the world is burning. Every day there is a brand new, horrible thing. We all hear about it because technology has caused overexposure.
We must remember that every day also brings bright spots; glimmers of hope that we are so often too frazzled to notice. In a dark world, flooded with pain, sprinkles of joy are important.
What are some of your bright spots?
