In any other animal species it takes a relatively short period of time for an animal to be completely developped. Dogs are one year, etc

For the longest time I thought that human beings took so long to become adults was that we were such a complicated species and we needed to learn so many skills (physical, social and emotional) before adulthood.

Sometimes I would even explain this to my daughter when she was having problems learning "the rules". That children took so long to grow up because they needed all that time to learn everything they needed to know.

Then I had a revelation last night. I had it backwards. We are children for so long that we can get used to thinking and acting in a certain way. And hopefully by the time we are adults, we can remember or retain some of it because we have been doing it for so long.

For instance, children are spontaneous. They enjoy every moment during the moment. They do not worry about if they will have enough food at their next meal. They play. They dream (my son was going to be an alien when he grew up). They have everything they need for the full enjoyment of life, each and every day.

- Babette

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

Children have much to teach us adults. They use their creative imagination to make their world as they want it...think of all the imaginary "playmates" they have. After they create them they step into that world and experience it in the NOW! They do not doubt that their Creator (parents) loves them and wants the best for them...they just know and live it. We adults doubt our Creator more often than we want to admit.

Michael M.