Why Can't We Be More Like Eleanor?

7-years ago I had a teacher for a design class give us a lesson on how to be free in our pieces and in life, how to take risks, and how to have fun. He said we needed to be fearless, fearless like a 4-year-old. He then proceeded to walk down the middle of the class imitating a 4-year-old and swinging his arms, singing to himself, and laughing and dancing the whole way. It is a lesson that has stayed with me, the idea of being fearless, having fun, and having their joy and zest for life. Yes, yes, 4-year olds can also be a pain-in-the-rear, but they are so fun.

That lesson has been in the back of my mind ever since; now having 22 nieces and nephews I have a myriad of ages to enjoy but am lucky enough to have two 4-year-old kiddos in my life right now. One of those kiddos is Eleanor, my sister's daughter. I am not trying to spotlight and praise one child more than any other, I love all equally and deeply, but the lesson's I have been thinking about are from Eleanor and what I have witnessed lately. Here are some of the reasons I wish we could be more like Eleanor....

1. Eleanor has a habit of looking over across a room, or while you are playing or just with her and her siblings and telling that person out of the blue she loves them, she also tells us we are beautiful. How often do you say that kind of stuff to another, or even to yourself? Why can't we just have her pureness and be able to say to ourselves we are beautiful or we love ourselves or tell another person in our lives that message? She says it because she believes it and knows it, we need to be more willing to say that. She has been known to say that to kiddos who have never heard that before but needed to know of their beauty, it is a pure and god-given gift she has that we could all benefit from.

2. She knows when to hug or cheer someone on. On Christmas this year, someone was very kind to me with a gift and I started crying, she knew to hug me. I have read her a book and made her laugh, she hugged me, I have talked with her about silly things and she knew to hug me. She doesn't hold back her affection, she gives it freely. The idea of cheering someone on is so simple, but how often are we consumed with ourselves and not taking a moment to cheer another on for making it through a hard time or just winning a game. She cheers on whom she loves in a game like they are about to win the Superbowl, I love that and want to use that as a motivation to encourage.

3. She dances and plays to her heart's content and enjoys doing so... As an adult, I feel guilty relaxing, I feel guilty not being productive or stress every day about finances. Why can't I just be silly like Eleanor and laugh at my own jokes or dance in a random outfit because it sounds fun? She changes her outfits for fun 5 times a day and wears random colors and patterns together, she doesn't question or think about it, to be truly free, to be free like a 4-year-old !!!!

4. She paints outside the lines.... now I am an artist, but honestly I am almost too trained to be as free with color and the paint mediums to be truly wild and childlike. She like all other children just draws with all colors, doesn't conform, doesn't see any reason to conform, she paints what is in her imagination, she dreams and plays... We all need to dream and play, all of us... we need to use every color in the box and forget about everyone else and everything else, we need to create our own masterpieces, every piece of art from a child they believe is the best... why don't we believe in ourselves like they do in their own accomplishments.

5. 4-year-olds are amazing in their excitement, they really start to see the magic in holidays and in life. Halloween I saw Eleanor finally get the Halloween spirit, and she ran in excitement to each house as she trick-or-treated and delighted in each piece of candy. For Christmas morning she would get excited anytime anyone opened up anything and in excitement yell," _______ got a box, yay!!" Seeing how magical life is through a 4-year-old is amazing, how blowing bubbles with their friends can be the best part of their day. How having a piece of candy and playing in the yard is their favorite moment and they delight in it. May we all try to stop stressing, stop trying to go overboard, and see the magic they see in every day and in the simplest things during the holidays and in life. May we get excited when someone opens their own type of box or metaphorical candy. We must start looking for the magic in life, it is everywhere and all around us.

May we be more playful, dream more, embrace the wild silly parts of life more, laugh more, hug more (when covid is over), tell those around us how beautiful they are, throw caution to the wind, and be as fearless as a 4-year-old. Thank you Eleanor for being you.. thank you. You are beautiful and you are amazing.

“You were wild once. Don’t let them tame you.”

- Isadora Duncan

“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age.”

-Aldous Huxley