I reflected on the words ‘spiritual awareness’ as I interacted with a toddler in our preschool. Sitting on a table by himself was an adorable two year old boy. He watched me with eyes wide open as I approached him. He was, after all, a stranger in a new environment.
I said ‘hello’ and introduced myself as I diverted his attention from me to the red container full of blocks which I placed on top of the table.
He continued to look at me but the blocks gained his attention. He grabbed one in his tiny hands and pretty soon he was already playing, putting one block on top of the other. I began to make my own tower too. He looked at me and what I was doing. I smiled saying, “Wow, we both have towers!” His face suddenly lit up with a smile and I smiled back at him.
But then his hand moved a bit to get more blocks and (oh my) his tower came tumbling down! I responded by toppling down my tower too. I looked at him as I grinned and said, “Boink!”
He laughed aloud. I laughed aloud. We did the whole thing again. We made our towers and when it toppled down, I would make the funny sound again “Boink!” And it never failed; it made him laugh. And he made me laugh.
I treasure simple moments like this. I have made this observation that somehow people who have masks (guarded, cautious, wary at other times) let their defenses down when they are with kids. Very young kids are a breath of fresh air. If you stay around them long enough, you would find yourself doing something you would not dare think of doing in front of other adults – remove your protective mask readily. There is no need for masks for when you are around them you are facing the loving truth of who they are. Their innocence, genuine acceptance of you is all truth.
If we are in a place where there are no judgments and no condemnations and where pure love exists there is no need for us to put on masks. If we are able to have relationships where we can be ourselves, we can grow in mind and heart beautifully and tremendously.
The greatest being who has given me the grandest experience of unconditional love is the Source of All that Is, who I fondly call Father God. I was eight years old when I started talking to Him. Twenty nine years after, this is the most important spiritual awareness I have learned from this friendship all these years: No matter what I do, no matter what I say, no matter how many titles, material possessions I may have gained, He loves me purely, unconditionally, and boundlessly.
And because of that love, I am able to remove all my masks before this wondrous being called God. I allow myself to be vulnerable because I feel the gentleness, the compassion and the laughter and delight when I come out of my shell. In that place of love, I discover who I really am and continue to bloom.
He allows me to BE and I allow Him to BE and in our “Beingness” we are free. We are free to be who we truly are — Love embodied, love expressed, love in its purest form. This spiritual awareness continues to help me to live a life of loving abundance.
By: Michelle Simtoco
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Thanks Michelle
A beautiful story of treasuring the simple moments…that is what I so love in this life and what I so love about you too. Thank you much!
Dottie, your presence and your friendship is valued very much. Thanks!