Kids are better than grownups

In his book Wide Awake, Erwin McManus talks about living out the dreams God places in us and says, "Maybe that's why Jesus tells us to come to him like little children.  They have the best imaginations."  Just hang out with kids for a weekend and you know this is true.  Their enthusiasm for living life head on and with a ridiculous amount of energy is equally exhausting and inspiring.  I was thinking about this while shelling on the beach yesterday.  I was quiet and reflective and all of a sudden my son came running up behind me. 

 "Hey mom." he said. (Now that we live in the South, "Hey" has replaced "Hi"). "Watcha doin'?"  he asked.  In addition to exchanging Hey for Hi, we're in danger of droppin' the letter g from our conversations. 

 "Lookin' for interesting things." I said.

"Oh. Cool. I'll help you."

As if I needed help! He stooped down, picked up a piece of broken shell and placed it in my open palm.  I had lots of other goodies in there, and his common, broken shell joined the "special" ones I'd found.  

"You hold your own stuff."  I said.  

He ran away from me because it's much better to collect stuff when you have a mom holder.  We went on like that for several minutes, him picking up bits of broken shells and me hunting for the perfect and unusual ones. We spied a black holey rock at the same time. 

"Oh look."  I said.  "That would make a great ashtray!" and before the sentence was out of my mouth I regretted it - where did THAT come from? He scowled, wrinkled up his nose and yelled "No one smokes!  Anyway, it's not an ashtray, it's lava from a volcano."  I was relieved, impressed and slightly embarrassed by my obvious lack of creativity.  Minutes later, I found an unusual shark tooth with wide flat gums and I triumphantly held it out for him.  

"Do you know what that is?"  he asked.  

"Yeah, it's a shark tooth."  I said.  

"Not a regular shark tooth", he replied.  "it's a Megaladon tooth."  

"Megaladon?"  I said. "Aren't they extinct and isn't this a little small?" 

"Yeah, people think they're extinct but there's one left.  A baby and YOU found the first tooth it lost!"  He shouted.

I started to like this game - he was so animated - and instead of squashing the imagination I joined in.  

"Wow, that's really lucky!"  I said.

His reply?  "No. YOU are really special."  

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And that's why kids are better than grownups. 

   

Comments

[Leslie]

I second that.
YOU ARE!!

[Jennifer Stokes]

How SWEET.....and he is right!! :)

[Anna]

That is awesomely hilarious and really cool!