Youth

Why is it that adults have so much and little so in common? When we are kids everything seems to be boiled down to the simplest elements...do I have enough toys? Do I have a cookie too? Do I have a doggie?

When we grow up something, something kind of dark, sneaks into our hearts and starts singing a song our mothers never wanted us to know. A song of loneliness and heartache. A song of fear and betrayal.

No matter who you are this happens. Even those nice people who seem to have It all together get to know at least the melody of this song. It lingers in the background like really bad muzak in an elevator.

Tra-la-tri-da-dum-da-dee.

Children rarely seem to hear it.

Somewhere between the age of 8 and 12 our souls mysteriously open up to this lingering noise. Is it that by that age most people experience some level of disappointment? (The lucky ones make it to their twenties and the unlucky hear the song before reaching eight.)

It is easy to look at loss as an evil and impure thing, as a thing to be despised but loss is truly a blessing to us. It teaches us to respect life, to love deeply and hold on to the enthusiasm of youth. Loss forces even the skeptic to do a little dance of joy, if only in the shower.

How deep is joy that has never been tempered with pain? How pure is happiness on a face that has never shed a tear of regret? Despair causes our hearts to reach for that which is bigger than ourselves and to strive for More. With a capital M.

Aren't the wins sweetened by the hundreds of losses it takes to get there? If one always wins there is a bitterness that develops at the core...a hardening. Loosing makes us humble and in that humbling comes grace.

And in that grace comes the sweet music of our youth.




ckays1967 at 3:40:00 AM PDT Link to this entry

This entry has 6 comments: (Add your own)
beautiful entry!
I love how you wrote everything....so soft, flowing, introspectively georgous.
great job....opened my eyes.
Comment from babyshark28 - 10/25/04 10:13 PM



Very beautiful and perceptive, Christina. Lisa :-]
Comment from mlraminiak - 10/24/04 5:31 PM



HOw sad but true me lady.... It seems as with age we lost the innocense that once had us believing that love was unconditional, and forever meant till the end of time.....
Such a true post and right on the money. as sad is it may be to admitt.....
Great post christine... thank you
Comment from alnorthport - 10/24/04 11:49 AM



wonderful Christina, we can learn alot by being around small children. :-)
~JerseyGirl
Comment from cneinhorn - 10/24/04 8:09 AM



See, that is what I mean by being 'my inspiration', you seems to just "know" some things and how TRUE
Love ya,
A
Comment from dallas0406 - 10/24/04 7:25 AM



Go, Christina, what a profound and moving entry.
Comment from sistercdr - 10/24/04 4:24 AM