Dear Fairy Godmother,
I hope you exist, because I need perspective. Being a woman these days gets sticky. Someone to wave a wand or throw me some pixie dust would be very helpful. If you still grant wishes, I have a one!
I wish for the carefree attitude I had as a child. Life and time are slowly taking it away. Bad things happen to my family and friends. Divorce, illness, unemployment or daily fears block my field of vision. How can I continue to laugh in the midst of the 5 o’clock news, or feel safe while traveling? How can I watch my children walk to school and not worry?
I miss climbing up a slide and not worrying about falling off the edge. I miss running around barefoot, not caring if my feet get the floors or sheets dirty. I miss looking at a clock and seeing how much time I have left to play rather than how much time until my next task. I miss not hearing all the bad stuff. I know I am an adult and I do not wish to be a child again, but a little bit of carefree kid attitude would be nice. Can you help me out?
Sincerely,
Seeking a Little Childhood Innocence
Dear Seeking a Little Childhood Innocence,
Of course I exist! Remember me in Cinderella? I launched Cinderella off to a good start with the prince. It wasn’t easy creating those glass slippers though! Everyone has a fairy godmother; you just have to know where to find yours.
Your childhood attitude is not gone, it’s just hiding. It’s hiding in your memories. To find it, you need to remember how it felt to be carefree. Think about one thing that reminds you of being a child and do it. Maybe it’s eating ice cream for breakfast or taking the time to lie on the grass and look at the clouds. Climb a tree. Drive around with your favorite song from high school blaring in the car, and sing along. Reread your favorite book from when you were a girl. Whatever it is for you, think of one thing and do it.
Change the lens in your eyes.
See the fun, instead of the work.
See the laughter, in spite of the tears.
See the wonder of the unknown, in spite of the fear.
You can make choices about how you live your life. Stop cleaning up life before it happens; you’ll miss the fun while you’re washing the rags.
By the way, last week when you realized you had an extra 15 minutes to spare? That was me with my pixie dust.
Always here,
Your Fairy Godmother
