Gratitude Challenge: Day 11

Auj says...

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

~Pablo Picasso

Yes, I still do get rejected once in a while with my writing stints. In fact, here's the most recent one that did not pass the standards of one of my finicky clients:

"I was born to a family of artists. With that fact alone, I can be considered an eccentric and not the usual type of kid who plays the usual types of games. The bottom line is that I was different. I was never the type of child who can’t wait to get out in the afternoon after taking an afternoon siesta just to play hopscotch or tag with the neighbours. So instead, I was in the company of Ladybird books, globes, maps, coloring books and painting sets.

I have always thought that the reason behind all this was that my mother was a very busy and in-demand career woman who never really had enough time for the kids. She was more preoccupied with how to provide for the entire family and meet the needs of everyone, most especially me. Hence, I was always left with my grandparents and uncles who taught me my first childhood games.

My first uncle who was a painter occupied my mornings with short painting classes. He taught me how it was to mix colors to be able to come up with a new set of hues. I was in love with drawing landscapes and painting them to look like they are real. My most favorite ones were the meadows where I imagine myself biking around and blowing on the tiny flower trinkets.

Another of my uncles pushed me into boyish sports. He taught me at a young age of six to box, perform karate and play basketball. However, it became all too rough for my weak body that my mom discouraged any of it for me to pursue. But above all, it was with my grandfather whom I enjoyed playing with the most each time he would spin the globe fast and afterwards ask me to point out a certain continent or country.

All these childhood games I was used to playing are surely not that normal but it all helped me to be somehow like a wonder kid apart from the intelligence enhancing milk products then. It taught me how to read early and end up as tourism major when I reached college. I even think it played a big part of my life right now as a writer."

And just like an obedient child who learns her lessons in life well, I would always remember how Dori taught me to appreciate how it is to be a child all over again, each time I would stumble, fall and hurt others or myself -- that I should stand up, say sorry, and promise to never do it again.

However, making promises is another topic. It is what we learn more about when we get to the age of 8 or so. ;))

I miss being a child. But I love being the me that grew from that child.

Dori says...

I surprisingly found this day's challenge leaving me blank and squeezed to come up with things to be grateful for looking at the world as a child. I wonder if it was because I've taken it upon myself to be in constant marvel in the littlest of everyday occurrences from taking a refreshing shower and smelling real nice and squeeky clean after, to taking a power nap on a comfy bed with cotton satin sheets, to swiftly going down 15 floors skipping the elevator as a cardio exercise, after which at the lobby 7-Eleven gloriously awaits 24/7 for an ice cream craving even in the middle of the night.

I did have a happy childhood where I was left to explore and simply be a kid at play, getting hurt here and there, stumbling from a rough play, having my knees and shoulders bruised from learning how to ride a bike, bonding with cousins who I grew up with and with whom I learned "bahay bahayan, taguan pu, and tumbang preso," and getting my butt spank often for staying too late out in the streets and looking like a "taong grasa" after a whole day's play.

I am blessed beyond measure, and so is everyone else. I have always had that heart and mindset. It only takes to consciously live in gratitude every single minute that pass us by and be in joyful awareness that children never have worry and stress in their vocabulary because of their trusting instincts. We can relive that child in us anytime, everytime. It's up to us. Besides, 21st century has gifted us already with Time Zone and other techy gadgets to be a kid at play and as a great outlet to become irresponsible and make a fool of ourselves sometimes :-).