Wonder and Awe

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

By Tracy Schruder

To me, being a kid at heart means living in a state of wonder and awe. From my experience, kids typically live in the present moment – that is, if they’re untouched by harm and abuse. I remember my childhood as if I never grew up. Growing up in the seventies, I learned valuable lessons.

My parents, raised with strict discipline, were taught “spare the rod and spoil the child.” They were disciplined through violence and, as young parents, they could only raise us with the knowledge they had.

However, they learned and grew. Through their own suffering and heartache, watching their children struggle, they realized that there had to be a better way. It hurt them deeply to resort to physical discipline, but they did what they thought was best. As they grew older and wiser, they adapted their approach. By the time the fourth and fifth child came along, they had mellowed out significantly. Grounding and making us sit out special events became the new standard, and discipline was wielded with compassion and understanding.

I was fortunate to have experienced a shift in their parenting style during my childhood. As a result, I was able to enjoy my youth and develop my own personality. My sense of curiosity knew no bounds, and I was a vacuum, soaking up every experience and capitalizing on them.

I became a very creative child, with an imagination that often left me in a state of awe. I loved living in the moment, accepting each one with wonder and excitement. Painting, crafting, and taking pictures were favorite pastimes, and I enjoyed writing long, imaginative stories.

I never lost that sense of wonder, and I believe that’s what it means to be a kid at heart. It’s about embracing life with curiosity and awe, never letting go of the magic that makes childhood so special. And, as they say, being a kid at heart just means I’ve got a bigger imagination – and now I have an income to indulge it!

Comments

7 responses to “Wonder and Awe”

  1. .Killa. Avatar

    There is nothing like starting off a post with a pair of lovely blue eyes πŸ€­πŸ˜†πŸ˜ (forgive me if I got the color so wrong but I think you get my point 🀣). Brains and beauty; Tracy you are killing it πŸ₯΅

    Super cool post. I totally can relate to what you said and I agree 100%. My parents where no-nonsense when it came to certain things too and never dropped the ball on discipline and integrity, but that was clearly from a place of love and actual parenting; they knew how to set boundaries but at the same time they loved being parents and knew what fun was, understood that I (and my siblings) were children, alot of thing they did with me in my childhood, helped develop my curiosity, made me wonder, made me think and ask questions, they would encourage me to be creative and do alot of things that would stimulate me mentally and also help grow me into a better me, they would even surprise me 🀭🀭, they are very awesome themselves, and my youth was very enjoyable overall. I credit that to why I also became the fun-loving dude that I am too, so I’m very much a kid at heart as well πŸ‘πŸ˜†

    Liked by 1 person

    1. TracySchruder Avatar

      My gosh, Killa thank you so much for your flattering words πŸ₯°. You are correct they are blue 😊. I’m so happy that you enjoyed the post! I believe we were the luckiest generation that ever lived given our parents level of consciousness. I also believe we were and are blessed to have siblings, especially adventurous ones. Most definitely you are a fun loving dude πŸ₯°. As we continue to share our stories with each other, we get to peek into the childlike wonders, that we continue to experience in our lives today. Have an Amazing Day my friend 😊πŸ₯°πŸ˜Š

      Liked by 1 person

      1. .Killa. Avatar

        Hahaha 😹, I am so glad you like what I said Tracy πŸ₯°πŸ€—, it’s such a pleasure, and I am happy that I was correct. It is awesome knowing that my feelings aligned with such a precious reality πŸ’™πŸ’™πŸ’™

        I couldn’t agree more with what you said, I am thankful for all of those blessings including the ones you and I share that keep us in tune with the child-like wonders of our lives πŸ˜‡πŸ«Ά. Have an amazing day too and all the best to you, love ❣️πŸ₯°πŸ˜„

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Michael B. Fishman Avatar

    I’m also a child of the 70’s and I’m not really sure what I learned growing up. Maybe a belief that we, all of us, are really the same and an appreciation of really good music.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. TracySchruder Avatar

      Sweet! Birds of a feather 😁 I’m definitely in good company here. I share that belief too 😊🎢. Thanks for reading my blog, Michael and a double thanks for your comment. Have a great evening my friend! Happy Blogging πŸ’«βœοΈπŸ’«

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Dinesh Kumar Avatar

    Dear friend Tracy, your story captures the true meaning of being a kid at heart β€” carrying that sense of wonder, creativity, and curiosity no matter how many years go by. I love how you shared the evolution of love and understanding within your family; it adds so much warmth and depth. Your words remind us that growing older doesn’t mean losing our sparkle β€” it just means we can dream with a little more freedom.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. TracySchruder Avatar

      Absolutely, Dinesh! Thank you so much for your lovely comment πŸ˜ŠπŸ€— I have little control over my body aging, but my mind will remain youthful and my heart full of wonder and awe 😁. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my post. Happy Blogging, my friend πŸ’«βœοΈπŸ’«.

      Liked by 2 people

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