Infancy and Early Childhood
The first five years of our lives we experience an incredible amount of growth. What begins as a final push through the birth canal into a cold new world continues in a seemingly never ending series of changes and discoveries. From teething to crawling to walking and talking, to beginning school, learning to ride a bike, making new friends… The list goes on and on. Every step of the way we’re stretched and flexed and pushed out of what is familiar and into the great unknown. And the adults responsible for us actually encourage us to do so, alleging that it will be “good for us.” But with all of this growth also come cuts, bumps, burns, stings, bruises, skinned knees and meanies. So why then, are children so full of enthusiasm? They’re put through the ringer on a near daily basis yet they live life to the fullest. Can you imagine an adult’s reaction to falling asleep in one location and waking up in an entirely different location without his/her knowledge or consent! What if a very large stranger approached an adult, bent down to within inches of her or his face and then began making strange noises and faces?! Yet children take this all in stride. They not only routinely giggle and laugh, they laugh from their bellies in a way that adults can no longer. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
I came across a video a few years ago in which a young boy was in distress and calling for assistance from his parents. Was he sick or injured? Was he being bullied? Was someone being mean to him? No, those are things he probably experiences on a routine basis. What was this terrible thing that had happened to him, you ask? Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5bpxbaltK0
I’ll leave you with this: Why, if stretching and flexing are so good for us, do countless adults actively resist doing so?