“I would like to learn, or remember, how to live.” —Annie Dillard
One of the benefits of being around children is they remind us of how to live. We catch a glimpse of what it looks like to live in the moment and find joy there; to live in awe of the world around us; to be free of worry about the future. In certain ways, children know how to live better than we do.
Yes, they don’t yet know many of the responsibilities they will one day take on. But taking on responsibility isn’t mutually exclusive with being present, living in awe, and knowing joy and peace. It’s possible to mature—to take on responsibility—and to do so without losing the skills of living that children are so good at—skills that we all had at one time, but sometimes need to be reminded of.