Too Big for Your Britches

Babies and children are amazing. The rapid pace they learn at, the natural tendencies that start so young like smiling, laughing, and dancing are amazing to me. Their sense of wanting to know what is in front of them, to study it. And learning from toys, books, and siblings' and parents' behavior. And all the while, they are playing. Playing and learning – to be an adult.

As they grow there is also the tendency to want to grow up faster, to put on adult shoes sooner than they need to (especially as they get to their teen years). They literally start trying on adult shoes as toddlers, not having any idea what is in store for them – at all. Do we do this as adults? Sure. It’s called looking to the future before we need to. Trying on shoes that we may never have to wear. Boots for wars that may never come, dancing shoes that pinch the toes, under-supported shoes that will give out and let us down. Why do we do this? It’s the nature of the beast; but we don’t have to. We can let go of the stress of trying on those shoes that may never be needed – if we quit worrying about the future. Worrying about what is to come. Sure, it’s okay to be prepared, to have the right “shoes” ready when we know for certain we will need them, but living in the present is a much better space to be in. We’ll have the shoes that fit us now and get us around as we need them. Let’s let go of the rags of old, past shoes, get the right shoes for now, and quit trying on the future’s undetermined shoes. Those unknown future shoes are just bound to walk all over us in the present. Let them go.