The other day I was spending some time with my little niece and nephews. As we walked up my back steps, they noticed a tiny ladybug trudging across the gray pavement. Of course, if I’d been alone, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed the little critter. And if I had, I doubt I would have even stopped to look at it. I would have been too busy thinking of all the things I needed to accomplish. But since I was with three children under the age of five, I enjoyed the opportunity of spending 30 minutes playing with this little guy and listening to these darling children talk about their amazement of the beauty of nature. They talked about how small its legs were….how it tickled their skin when it walked across their hands….and how its red shell body could open up and turn into wings and fly off to see its “mommy.”
Kids keep us young. They allow us to see the world in all its simplicity. Ladybugs, butterflies, ants, puppies, birds–these are all key components of a child’s world but are rarely thought about in the hustle and bustle of an adult’s life with deadlines, bills, work, laundry, housecleaning, yard work, and other such drudgery absorbing every second of our daily routine.
Even though all of those things are necessary for us to accomplish in our adult lives, every once in a while, it’s nice to have a Ladybug Day–even if it’s just for 30 minutes–to sit down, relax, and see the world in all its majesty through the eyes of a child.