Through the eyes of a child

Kevin and I were driving in the car last night, silently listening to the radio.

From the backseat I hear "Mommy! I see a crocodile in the clouds! See it? Its mouth is open, and there's a llama and an axe on it's head. See it, Mommy?? It's in the clouds over there!"

Sadly, I confessed that no, I could not see it. I saw the croc, but not the llama and axe. Kevin tried again to point out the picture in the clouds, but my adult imagination just couldn't quite see it the way a 7-year-old did.

It made me think about creativity as a child, and how we lose that ability as we grow up. Kevin can spend hours playing "Harry Potter" or "Knights" or "Dragons" or "Bionicle" all by himself- and I don't mean with little characters or Lego sets. The child can act out entire scenes, with dialog and action, for multiple characters.

I LOVE listening to him play for this very reason- he's able to escape into his own world and make it come to life. He play-acts with vigor and unparalleled excitement. He creates scripts in his head or remembers movie scenes, word for word, and recites them- complete with accents. He can set up a castle scene in his head and make it come alive. I envy that.

Some day I hope to recapture my youthful imagination and again be able to see crocodiles with llamas and axes on their heads when my gaze turns toward the sky.