Who were you before the world told you who to be?

Do you have an image of yourself that captures your true essence?

Skinned knees, climbing trees, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, boundless energy, all

flashes of my childhood. It makes me smile, thinking of that free-spirited little girl that’s still such a part of me.

On the other hand, I've always taken life so seriously. My mother told me I was like a short 30-year-old.

Raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, I was an adventurous tomboy who equally relished my feminine side. I’ve often wondered how losing my twin brother at birth may have affected this aspect of my personality. Was I averting my father’s pain by trying to fill the roles of daughter and lost son as the only child? Somehow, knowing from an early age that I was a lone survivor, gave me an insatiable appreciation for life and a sense that I was here for a reason.

I was happiest hanging out of trees, running flat out, doing barefoot cartwheels, and laying in the grass, contemplating life.

How do we lose this youthful sense of innocent wonder for life?

We take on others’ responsibilities.

We manage others instead of managing ourselves first.

We carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.

We need to have all the answers.

We care too much.

Are we living up to someone else’s ideal or the unrealistic expectations we set for ourselves?

How do we gain that zeal for life back?

I find it in dreaming, imagining, singing, dancing, savoring the moment, cherishing the good times.

Releasing the hurt, the need to be right, to have everything in perfect order, and raising children has taught me how to see life through the eyes of a child again.

Staring at her 90-year old reflection in the mirror, my Mema remarked, “I still see myself as nineteen.”

Is age only a figment of our imagination?

We are old souls. We have a rich inner complexity that often seizes our ability to let go.

Life is messy. We klutz up. We have regrets.

Weaving the dance of play in our lives allows us to lighten up, enjoy being ourselves,

and reminds us that when we do fall, we can simply choose to get up, dust ourselves off,

and get back on the bike again.

Is it time to release your inner child?