The Child Within Us!

When was the last time you jumped into a puddle and squealed with delight? Or looked up at the sky, and animated stories around cloud formations? How long has it been since you tended to the spontaneity within and did something on the spur of the moment?

And, when did you last check on the child within you?

The Invisible Child

While the growing up years instill in us a sense of responsibility, accountability, and an urge to be productive, it does not forbid us to dim the spark or unbridled curiosity to wear a cloak of composure and control. We silence the child within us to fit our palms into the practical gloves of the world. Decorum precedes authenticity, and the embers of the child-like curiosity, that once lit a thousand stars upon concrete ceilings, dies without a hiss. The child within gradually takes the backseat and becomes invisible eventually. 

‘Adults are only kids grown up, anyway’ said Walt Disney. And, let’s add that while we remain grown up for most parts of our lives, it is also necessary to celebrate the child within, and allow it to view and explore life with a pair of inquisitive and unaffected glasses.

Research says that keeping alive the inner child builds resilience, and expands the horizons of creativity in an adult. Children are masters of the art of letting-go; a salient feature that we as grown-ups pay huge amounts to master because we forgot to nurture the ability to live in the moment, and started holding grudges. 

Children celebrate the smallest of feats, jump into an impromptu jig, stare wide-eyed at a bug and above all, share what they think is important to them with others without the fear of validation. No wonder cultures and countries across the globe celebrate these tiny sentinels with a mammoth character.

India

The first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was known for his fondness towards children. Known affectionately as Chacha Nehru, he dreamt of creating a world with a strong focus on child welfare. He had once said that, “"I have always felt that the children of today will make the India of tomorrow, and the way we bring them up will determine the future of the country."

Schools across India celebrate Children’s Day with cultural and motivational programmes, celebrating the joys of childhood and the vision of a leader whose faith in children was immense.

But India isn’t the only country where Children’s Day is celebrated.

Myanmar

Like Nehru, Aung San, the Burmese revolutionary and politician fought for a better future for children. Children’s Day in Myanmar coincides with his birth day, i.e. 13 February. 

Japan

Kodomo No Hi or Children’s Day is celebrated in Japan on May 5th, finding its origins from the Lunar Calendar festivities that celebrated Hinamatsuri or Doll Festival on March 3, for girls, and Tango-No Sekku or Festival of Banners for boys on 5 May. 

The depredations of the Second World War made the Japanese government rededicate Children's Day for both girls and boys on the 5th May as a holiday, wishing for their wellbeing and happiness. 

One of the most iconic and colourful events of Japan’s Children’s Day is Koinbori, a sock or cloth streamer, cut and painted in the shape of a carp that’s fixed to a pole and flown outside homes. Carps represent strength and perseverance , making them perfect to motivate children. 

On Children

When Wordsworth said that, ‘Child is the father of the man’, he implored that it’s our childhood experiences that shape our adulthood. It falls upon to strip the world of its horrors and create a safe space for every child irrespective of race or nationality. 

Children are precious and they’re one their own kind, aptly summed up by  Kahlil Gibran in his poem ‘On Children’:-

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

  For they have their own thoughts.

  You may house their bodies but not their souls,

  For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

  You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

 For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday