I was watching my kids play the other day and I’m always amazed by their capacity to enjoy the simple things, like a rock, a butterfly, or a lego. Sitting there, I found myself wondering. About their future, their professions, their lives. We (the parents) help our kids grow wings, we teach them to fly and eventually we encourage them to leave our nest. We advise them to take their time and find themselves, to dream big, be extraordinary, save and change this world. We have great expectations, we want them to repaint this world’s portrait.

Kids, be amazing, be extraordinary!

As a mom, I wish I had superpowers and change this world myself. If only there were only green pastures, joy, harmony, or simply, heaven on earth. I wish I could erase the poverty, the grief, the solitude, the injustices inherent to life. If only my sons never knew their meaning! What could be more beautiful, more inspiring? The answer to this, though, is: real life!

Without loss, grief or doubt, life would be a void ambiance. We cannot have as purpose a life/world without drama, mystery, unpredictable. Life is as it is: rich, sad, unfair, challenging. The real prestige of humanity, though, is its attitude towards them. We may have more doubts than certainties, more questions than answers, know more pain than happiness, but in all its tragedies and all its glory, life is magic.

Kids, keep searching for the forgotten beauty of life!

Knowing all this, we, still, cannot give up on changing this world, on making it better. Throughout history, this world was changed by wars (World War 2), revolutions (French Revolution), violence , but it was also changed by music (Mozart), philosophy (Aristotle), religion (Luther), wisdom (Dalai Lama).

Once “changed”, this world needs stable values, content, balance, judgement, hope and humour.

Kids, choose your path, work hard, and don’t give up, it’s only life!

As much as we desire our kids to be extraordinary, in order for them to be that, they have to be ordinary first. This time, my thoughts are with the parents. Let’s help our children find wonder in ordinary, too! Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes and pears! Show them how to cry when pets and people die! Show them the infinite pleasure of helping those in need, of being compassionate! Show them that kindness is the ultimate form of beauty!

Make the ordinary come alive for them! The rest is pantomime…