When I was a Child...

Reposting again for new readers...
I love my childhood days. It was all made possible mostly because of my very loving parents and the closely knit community of friends and families and neighbors God had blessed us with.

Though the days are long gone by I felt like a child all along - until very recently when my older daughter turned ten. Reluctantly I realize that I am no longer a child and slowly starting to embrace my adulthood.

Looking back in time and wondering what made my childhood so special that I held on to it so dearly for more than three decades, I realize it is the abundant, over-flowing, love and joy and fellowship we had as a family. I was much blessed, everyone loved me. It always felt like I was the favorite child of my parents and grand parents and aunts and uncles and neighbors... I am sure they made each one of us kids feel that way. They all treated us very special in unique ways that we appreciate all through the years. I was greatly blessed with such loving souls I am forever grateful for. There is not a single remorse or regret thinking of the past.

Now as an adult when I think about it, most of the 'special' feeling I experienced could be due to my pure childhood innocence that loved everyone very specially. All aunts, uncles, cousins, friends were all loved the same. I was naive and open and full of life and filled with love.

I had my own agenda of how things went... I simplified very complex things and complicated very simple things. Just wanted to jot down a few that I recall to give you a glimpse of my treasured childhood memories...

* I believed we were Israelites (as I learnt in Sunday school God's children were Isralites)
* I believed I was the favorite child of all
* I believed earth was round and we were living inside the globe (the sky to be the upper rim of the globe)
* I believed sons were born to fathers and daughters were born to mothers
* I believed all animals were males and all birds were females (most stories depicted the characters like that)
* I believed men were made of steel and felt no pain
* I believed only airplanes were used in America and no vehicles on the road
* I believed the world globe curved beyond the horizon I could see
* I believed babies came from the belly button
* I believed there were many Gandhies (in our language, we always refered to him in plural 'Gandhi adigal')
* I believed I could buy a big brother for some candy (tried it with a friend who had 5 elder brothers)
* I believed shaving blades grew on trees (as we had Ashoka tree and also Ashoka blades)

Some of these seem very silly now but I truly believe that if not for such innocent beliefs life wouldn't have been as much fun. As much as I want to hold on to these beliefs, I understand life goes on and I have to move on ...

Happy to find an interesting verse in the Bible which says: "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." 1 Corinthians 13:11

This gives me huge comfort that I am not alone and every person goes through silly childhood believes which they have to let go to become a mature adult... Now care to share your inncocent beliefs? I would love to hear...

That being said, I am ready to embrace my next stage in life. Come along, let's make it last long ...