You give an adult an empty box, and they think, what am I missing? Obviously, you must have forgotten something.
You give a child the same empty box, and they are off on a grand adventure … suddenly they’re out for a drive, playing house, traveling to space, or perhaps just hanging out in their turtle shell.
People always joke that children enjoy the box or bag as much as the gift. And it’s probably true. Of course, they will always love toys, but to children, empty boxes aren’t just that, they are full of possibility.
At what age did we begin to change? When did we look in and only see an empty box? When did we stop dreaming?
As we lose our sense of imagination, we lose the ability to create – to not only see things at face value, but also their potential.
I want to begin to think outside the empty box, the way my children do. They live in a world that has no limits; they are open to knowledge and trying new things.
We tell our children to do what you love and become who you want to be. We teach them to stand out; but then as adults, we spend our time just trying to fit in.
Recently my boys were given hooded Spiderman towels as a gift. The kids don’t use them as they were intended - at bath time - though. Instead, I’ve spent the last week with two little, hooded bats flying around in my house. I believe they have come inside to simply escape the cold. They are cute rodents, though, so I let them stay; they even like to nap upside down on the walls of the basement cave.
I’ve realized, as I watched the boys soaring around, having the time of their lives, everyone needs wings. We shouldn’t limit ourselves based only on what we think we are capable of. Because when you can fly, you can do anything. The sky is the limit.
My children have taught me that.
