Innocence and connection

On the way to school this morning, my 9-year-old daughter taught me about pure love, and what it means to be truly connected to Mother Earth.

by Lisa Angelini — 

On the way to school this morning, my 9-year-old daughter taught me about pure love, and what it means to be truly connected to Mother Earth. She asked if she could cut a rose from our rosebush to give to her teacher. “Absolutely,” I told her, and asked if she would like to give her teacher one rose of each color: red, yellow and pink.

She set out with a pair of scissors and came back beaming. I instructed her to be careful of the thorns and to wrap the stems in foil. She replied, “I started to cut the thorns off, but decided it was part of the beauty of the rose.”

She then said, “Mommy, the petals are a little crusty on the edges, do you think my teacher will mind?” My heart swelled at how precious she was at this moment. I explained that her teacher would be so happy to be thought of that she wouldn’t mind one bit. We got in the car and headed toward school.

“Mommy?” she asked. “You know how you told me to water the roses by making a big puddle because it is such a big bush?”

“Yes, I remember” I replied.

“Well, they don’t like drinking dirty water,” she said.

I explained that they love the water, and because their roots are in dirt, they don’t mind. She took little comfort in that statement and was not at all convinced.

She continued, “I like talking to trees and I like hugging trees. They are people.”

“Sweetheart, they are trees, not people,” I reminded her.

“Well, Mommy, they are like people. When I hug them, I feel like they are hugging me back,” she answered.

I explained that she could also talk to plants. Her eyes got as big as saucers. She looked down at her roses and said, “I am so sorry that I cut you. Oh, my gosh mom, how would I like it if someone cut me down?” I was moved by her innocence and pure love for God’s creations.

“Roses take delight at people enjoying them,” I explained. “Don’t worry — when you get home, you can talk to the bush and make amends. I am sure it will understand.”

For a moment, I remembered being a child in a world filled with wonderment. How would it be to walk around with the eyes and heart of a 9-year-old again, seeing the magic and beauty in all things? I imagined what the world could be like if we were all this gentle and loving, if we were this self-aware. If we saw the beauty in our day-to-day existence, how much freer would we become?

This is the stuff of childhood and innocence that we so often forget. This is the child that each one of us carries inside, the inner child that so many of us have forgotten and neglected. This morning my daughter gave me a gift. I looked at the world through a 9-year-old’s eyes — and it was beautiful!

Lisa Angelini, M.A.P.C., C.A.G.S., C.L.C., is a professional counselor, certified life coach, and Reiki master. She specializes in relationships, dating and communication and holds a Master’s of Professional Counseling and a certificate of advanced graduate studies. 602-330-6378 or [email protected].

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 25, Number 4, August/September 2006.