When I was a kid, the world was magic. I could make potion out of dirt and flowers and leaves I found outside.
When I was a kid, I would wake up at six in the morning just to watch cartoons. I’d lie on a pillow right in front of the TV while everyone else was still asleep.
When I was a kid, I didn’t know how much money we had or didn’t have. It didn’t matter.
When I was a kid, we would play “lost in the jungle” at our china berry tree outside. We would turn it into a jungle paradise.
When I was a kid, I used to play in my parents’ bedroom in the evenings. They would put a baseball game on the TV, and I could smell the dinner my mom was cooking while my brother and I pretended to be animals on their bed.
When I was a kid, I thought light-up shoes were the coolest thing ever to exist. They made me so fast.
When I was a kid, spending the night with my Nanny was so special. We would stay up too late, drink too much soda. My Grandpa would yell at us to be quiet in the middle of the night. I miss them.
When I was a kid, picking out a new backpack and lunchbox was my favorite part of back-to-school. My purple My Little Pony lunchbox was a big deal.
When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait until Sunday evenings when we would play a game together as a family and cook a dessert.
When I was a kid, the school carnival was so exciting. I got to pull suckers out of hay bales and pick ducks out of little plastic swimming pools.
When I was a kid, my room felt so comfortable. It was decorated in purple with unicorns. It was mine.
When I was a kid, my favorite clothes weren’t Nike or Under Armour. I didn’t even know brands were a thing. My favorite dress was Minnie Mouse, and when I got a little older, it was a shirt with a sequined teddy bear on it.
When I was a kid, Christmas was so magical. I don’t remember 99% of the gifts, but I remember the feeling of Christmas morning. I remember the anticipation of Santa Claus. The joy that came from believing in magic.
When I was a kid, I could watch ant piles for hours, giving the ants names and jobs. I’d imagine their little lives and families and pretend it was an entirely new world.
When I was a kid, I could ride my bike all afternoon and never get bored.
When I was a kid, my parents had all the answers. All of them. I didn’t have to worry.
When I was a kid, I could watch the same movie on repeat for weeks. I would know every word by heart.
When I was a kid, I loved crawling into my parents’ bed during a thunderstorm. The storm was a lot less scary in there.
Have we forgotten how to be kids? Have we forgotten the magic and the simplicity? Does it have to be name brand and money and social media worthy all the damn time?
Can we just stop and remember what it’s like to be a kid?
Maybe that’s the key to slowing down. The key to enjoying life. The magic. Childhood.
When I was a kid, I loved my life.
Maybe I could do that again.