“The soul is healed by being with children.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Such a powerful truth spoken in so few words. Especially in the mind of a grandparent. I loved my children with all of the devotion and adoration that any parent does. I knew when I first met each of them, that there was magic in my my life that hadn’t been there before. But it wasn’t until my grandchildren arrived that I was able to relax a bit and truly enjoy every wakeful minute spent with them.
Looking at the world through the eyes of little ones is like seeing it for the first time. The pleasure of their company, for even a few brief hours, fills the space around you with energy and light. Children are laughter and play, song and dance, imagination and creativity. Being with them lets us forget for a while that life isn’t always fair or right, that there is a world full of worrisome events and troubles out there.
Any time they come to visit is a breath of fresh air infused into the staleness of the everyday. They bring alive a a house that sits too long without the exuberant aura of children. The questions they ask, the stories they tell remind us that it’s okay to question, that it’s good to learn and wise to see things from unique perspectives.
When they come to visit, life as I’ve complacently come to know it, stops. Household chores that can wait actually do. Stresses are replaced by quiet games and reading. Indoor projects are traded in for playgrounds and other outdoor fun. A mind made stagnant by daytime routines is suddenly wakened to creativity and imagination.
Our oldest grandchild arrived 18 years ago and spent every weekend at our home for a good many of those. A truly gentle spirit he was the first to teach me how to breathe again, to take those slower steps, to pass on the dish washing and read a storybook instead.
It wasn’t until he was 12 that our second grandchild arrived — a sensitive, athletic miss, who has shown us that it’s okay to just sit, but when the mood strikes to run. With all of the carefree abandon you can.
Her baby brother was next and from almost the start it was obvious that here was the quintessential boy. Charged and ready to go at all times. Yet, he approaches every project, whether it’s transforming blocks into a tower or working on the wheels of a bike, with fascination rather than impatience.
Their first younger cousin has never lost the rose-coloured glasses through which she views the world around her. There is a dance in her every step and a song in her heart no matter what she’s doing.
Completing the pack are a two-year-old and her one-year-old brother. The elder shares her cuddles, her very entertaining stories and a love of books — all very good excuses to stop what I’m doing and take advantage of the quiet time with her. As for the dynamo she calls Buddy he’s raring to go, loves people and takes great pleasure in just about everything. And isn’t that a soul-healing approach to life?
Because children are truly the beautiful people, here are some wonderful photos of them, their innocence and vitality:
