I recently watched The Little Prince, a film based on Antoine de Saint Exupery’s beloved book, on Netflix. I cried. A lot. I loved it so much.

The main idea I’ve taken away from the book and film is that one can be a viable and valuable grownup without giving up the whims of childhood.

The film made me think of a couple Bible verses I heard when very young.

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” I Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)

“But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Matthew 19:14 (NLT)

As a 7-year-old kid tinkering with piano and poetry writing, I thought the aforementioned verse from First Corinthians was, frankly, a bummer, obviously, not fully understanding its meaning. Like Peter Pan, I didn’t want to grow up. Since I was taller than most kids in my class, I was already growing much more quickly than I’d like.

Then, I was confused. In Matthew, Jesus had said, “…the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”

So, I assume, that throughout the years our reasoning and faculty of speech should mature, but we should never fully grow up. The youthful spark of faith and hope should never be extinguished. And thus, a “mini-me” should continue to live on within an older and wiser version of oneself.

Isn’t it fantastic that the fragrance of a freshly opened jar of Play-Doh or box of crayons takes you back to the halcyon days of elementary school?

Looking up cartoons on YouTube transports me back in time, too. Watching Disney’s 1951 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland makes me think of late nights and Vicks VapoRub because that VHS (taped from television during a thunderstorm) was my go-to video when I was puny.

Sorry that this post has become a stream of consciousness, but I’d love to learn what keeps your inner child alive and well. Please let me know in the comments! 🙂

Petiteloulou

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