Through the Eyes of a Child

Through the Eyes of a Child

         

              As a single mother of four children, my hands are always full.  I have tried several different things to try to keep my stress level down.  The one thing that works better for me than anything else is to look at things through the eyes of my children.  It causes me to forget about all of the worries and responsibilities of my adult world, and just enjoy things the way a child can.

         

                My oldest is a teenager now, and I find that it is getting harder and harder to see things through her eyes.  I still try every time I get a chance.  When I try to see things from her eyes, I can remember the way I felt when I was her age.  I can remember feeling like the whole world is against me, and nobody understands me.  I can remember.  It makes me yearn to be able to help her.  However, through her eyes, I can see that the only help she wants is for me to give in and allow her to do things I cannot possibly allow her to do.  The mother in me is always there, first and foremost.  That will never change.  Still, when I look through her eyes, I see hope for the many wonderful things to come in life.  I see big dreams coming true.



                My next child just became a teenager also.  He is still wrapped up in sports and school activities.  He has not started his typical teenage behavior… yet.  I look through his eyes as often as I can.  He sees the world as being full of opportunities.  He sees the fun things in life and dreads the work it takes to get the rewards.  When he gets the rewards, he looks back at what he has accomplished and he is proud.  When I look at the world through his eyes, I can have fun and truly appreciate the joys that life has to offer.



                My third child is ten.  He still has a wonderful view of life.  He does not worry about the rent, or utility bills.  He does not find himself concerned with whether or not the house is clean, or if the blinds are closed at night.  I enjoy looking at life through his eyes because of the simplicity of it all.  When I look at the world through his eyes, I see things for what they are in their true form.  I see a table as a table instead of a gather place for the family at five o’clock every night.  I see the bathtub for what it is instead of seeing it as a place to relax after a long day.  I love seeing things with such clarity.

My youngest, the baby of the family, is five.  She has started school this year, and she is learning things that amaze her.  She is starting to question how things work, and why things are the way they are.  I enjoy looking at things through her eyes because of the innocence that is there.  When I look through her eyes, I challenge myself to question the things that I see.  I enjoy the knowledge that I have.  Through her eyes, I yearn for even more knowledge. 



                Each of my children is at different stage in their life.  They are more than just my responsibilities.  They are my life, my world.  When I take the time each day to look at life, at the world, through their eyes, instead of my own, I make a connection with them that is stronger than any other I could possibly make.  I humanize myself to them, and they can see me as a person, not just a mother.  I humanize them to myself.  They no longer are just my children, but they are young people, with their own hopes and desires, and opinions. 



                  It is wonderful to see things through the eyes of a child.