By Irene Conlan -

I hope your Christmas was wonderful. Ours was.

My grandson, Jack,  will be six next month and this is the first year he really got excited about Christmas. It was wonderful watching him. He got a lot of “stuff” and was truly excited about each thing – even the socks and underwear. He seemed to like the little things as much as the big, the cheap things as much as the expensive. He didn’t judge anything or anyone and he was truly in the moment.

I tried to put myself in his shoes and see Christmas from a child’s perspective. It was an interesting adventure. From a child’s view the tree is bigger and the lights brighter. The packages are more beautiful and the mystery of  their contents more compelling.  They don’t hesitate to express their like or dislike of the gifts and immediately set out to enjoy what they have received. They don’t ask for the price or look for the designer label. If the gift was really “cool”  the giver received immediate hugs and smiles (if those could be transformed into currency, we would be millionaires today).

It would be interesting to  try to see the world and everything in it through a child’s eyes. What would they see that we don’t see as adults? What comes to my mind is the title of a James Herriot book – All Things Bright and Beautiful. What if we each saw the world around us as bright and beautiful again? Would we treat it differently? Would we take care of it better? Would we enjoy it more?  Would the grass look greener and the trees seem taller? Would there be more moments of wide eyed awe when we discovered something new?

We are so used to our surroundings that we tend not to see them anymore. We often pass by nature’s beauty without noticing and we take the common place for granted. But a child doesn’t. He sees the butterflies and pauses at flowers – even if they’re dandelions – to look and, if possible, pick. He runs, skips and jumps through the grass always noticing things along the way. “Oh, mama, look what I found” is heard often” and “Oh, look” is often uttered with wonderment when he sees things like bubbles, flowers, butterflies or bugs – almost anything new.

What if during this week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, you practiced seeing things through the eyes of a child to renew your own wonderment at the beauty around you? For most of us this is a slow week.If you can, take time to really look at everything around you instead of barreling ahead eyes fixed only on what’s in front of you trying to get there faster. Depending on where you live, notice the trees, the snow, the flowers, the buildings you pass – really see them as if for the first time.   Look at familiar faces as if you never saw them before and search out the beauty there. Look at your own face as if it were new to you. What do you see?

It’s an interesting exercise and can be an exciting adventure. I would love to hear your reaction if you are brave enough to try it.