Through the Eyes of a Child

The little boy was on the same steam-boat outing as me.

I couldn't help but notice how long he sat quietly

watching the paddles on the boat churn up the water.

He put up his hand as if to touch the splashing water and left his hand

on the glass a very long time. He could certainly feel the vibrations.

When we look at the world around us as though we were seeing things

for the the very first time,

just like a small child discovers everything around him,

we are able to enter into a state of childlike wonder.

As a child, I remember how shadows were created by sunlight

and how the moving changing patterns fascinated me

allowing me to be totally immersed in the moment.

Just the other day, I poured myself a glass of water when I got up

and stopped to admire the shapes and reflections on the kitchen top work surface.

I thought how beautiful they looked.

Slowing down on my walks allows me to notice tiny insects, butterflies and bees

on the plants and flowers I pass.

It's lovely just to linger awhile and wonder about the sort of life they live.

I notice how a beautiful flower is at the end of its cycle

and how the centre is a source of interest and beauty

once the petals have taken on a more discreet role.

Sometimes the filtered sunlight in the background 

fills me full of awe

before I even notice the pollen-filled centre and the luminous petals of this 

Rudbeckia flower.

***

"To reclaim our childhood wonder, we need a way

 to let go of our judgements and return to a beginner's mind.

How can we do that?

The best way is to let a child teach us.

If you have the opportunity, spend time with a child.

Go for a walk with them and notice how they approach the world.

Photograph the wonder in their eyes."

This quotation comes from the book entitled:

Adventures in Seeing. How the camera teaches you to pause, focus and connect with Life

by Kim Manley Ort.

I am reading this book and following the weekly exercises

through my photography.

It is allowing me to pause, focus and connect to all that is around me.