"May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young."
~ Mr. Bob Dylan
____________________________
Yesterday was filled with laughter and youth. It involved kickball and freeze tag and popsicles. Someone ran off to hide and someone else went to seek. Someone stuck their foot in the middle of a circle and someone else eenie-meenie-miney-moed until someone was finally left as the last one.
Which meant they were "it."
And that's okay because in this game, being "it" was just fine.
Those someones were children. And those someones were also mommies and daddies who slowed down from all of their grown up hustling and bustling long enough to remember to be children-at-heart.
It made us all remember what it felt like to be in that place in life. It also reminded us of how much kids love to see our inner-child. Because they do. They so, so do.
We get so busy, you know? So worried about the things that we have to do and the things that we haven't done. Or the things that we have done and whether or not they were right.
Are we giving them enough attention? Are we working hard enough to be the best parents? Are we making wise financial decisions? Did we remember to apply to that camp by the deadline? Will we get that promotion?
And so on and so on.
But not on this day. On this day we filled every single inch of the atmosphere with as much innocent joy as we could. Because that's what children who are cherished and safe should have. Innocent joy. Untampered by the constant heaviness of life and reality.
At least most of the time they should.
At least most of the time they should.
I'm just thinking. We could learn a lot from children. We could learn about wonder and curiosity. We could remember to take turns. We could roll on grass without worrying about chiggers. And we could throw our heads back and dance like nobody's watching.
Or at least not care or consider if they're watching.
So that's exactly what we did. We lived and loved and laughed like kids.
And this went on and on.
Until dusk began to fall and the fireflies began to twinkle.
And it was perfect and joyous and memorable in the purest sense of every one of those words.
And everyone went in when the streetlights came on.
Just like when we were kids.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.
***
Happy Sunday. May you, too, stay forever young.
Now playing on my mental iPod. . . .both of these versions of that song on one continuous playlist.
First, Mr. Bob Dylan sings it here all quirky and Dylan-y:
Next, Mr. Rod Stewart sings it all raspy and beautiful here. . . .
. . .and this version including Mr. Bruce Springsteen just for Ms. Moon and Shugsie who are both fans.
Springsteen-Dylan "Forever young" by betterday
