The Magic of Children’s Stories
Children reading a book together
Seeing the world through the eyes of children gives me a fresh perspective. The wonder and awe they express when seeing something new or creating stuff tickles my funny bone and warms my senses.
Listening to the tales they tell and their dragon-slaying adventures with monster toys often inspires me with the seed of an idea for another story.
Stories
Stories are the way we make sense of the world.
Whether we are a child or an adult or somewhere in between, stories give us a safe way to interact with characters and events without ever leaving our chair.
Stories invite our imagination to run wild. To be as carefree as we were as children. When our imaginations ran wild. When we were the heroes of our own stories.
Feats of Fantasy
I am blessed with grandchildren. Seeing the world through their eyes, and the eyes of their friends, reminds me of that carefree time that feels like it happened just a few years ago.
I love listening to their tales of conquer and feats of fantasy. It’s fun to hear the imaginative ways they feel their lives will unfold when they become an adult, the ruler of their own world.
A short time ago, I turned my childhood feats of fantasy into reality. I was on holiday surrounded by six of my siblings and their spouses. Five of us decided that ziplining would be fun.
I was certain that I’d be scared out of my mind, and I promised everyone who stayed back at the pool that I’d scream the whole way!
But I really wanted to attempt the feat because one of the four zipline rides promised to be a superman-style. As a little girl, my daydreams had me flying with my arms out and hair waving in the wind. The same way Superman did it.
I screamed on the first zipline. After all, I had promised.
In mid-scream, I realized, hey, this is fun. So, I turned that scream into the biggest wahoo I could muster!
We were outside, with only the trees below to hear me.
Top of the mountain
Then, my four companions and I took the outdoor vehicle to the next zipline. I hoped the motor wouldn’t stop on the way.
We slowly wound up the narrow road to the top of a small mountain. The grinding took on a distinct sound on each turn and elevation we took and drowned out the voices of the others.
The forest fires billowing white smoke, to the left of us, stayed on their mountain. It was clear and sunny on ours.
This was the second of the four ziplines we were to take.
Each person was fastened into a sling, our faces and knees pointing toward the earth. Two at a time went zipping through the air.
My heart was pounding as the guide strapped me in. He told me to hang on with my elbows tucked to my sides and to keep my ankles crossed.
New Adventures
One path to take. I was hanging from the zipline and strapped into the sling, gripping the handles located under my belly. I cannot remember if I screamed, shouted for joy, or held my breath as I started zipping through the air on this new adventure.
I remember the feeling of exhilaration as the guide slid me forward. The ocean to the left smiled its gentle waves as it sparkled in the sun. The dry leaves on the trees whispered their secrets as I slid through that mile of air.
My imagination switched into high gear as I saw the bright white buildings gleaming luxuriously in a resort next to the ocean (no, not my resort).
“There are fairytale princesses and gentle dragons protecting them,” said my imagination. The wind pushed at my glasses.
New Adventures
One path to take. I was hanging from the zipline and strapped into the sling, gripping the handles located under my belly. I cannot remember if I screamed, shouted for joy, or held my breath as I started zipping through the air on this new adventure.
I remember the feeling of exhilaration as the guide slid me forward. The ocean to the left smiled its gentle waves as it sparkled in the sun. The dry leaves on the trees whispered their secrets as I slid through that mile of air.
My imagination switched into high gear as I saw the bright white buildings gleaming luxuriously in a resort next to the ocean (no, not my resort).
“There are fairytale princesses and gentle dragons protecting them,” said my imagination. The wind pushed at my glasses.