welcome to my blog!

Birds still chirp in the morning

and sunlight still streams in through trees

ice cream is still sweet and the sky is still blue

Christmas lights still sparkle and the ocean is still calming

Friends still laugh and dogs still play

It is up to us to recognize the wonders of the everyday

To lay the expectations and distractions at the foot of the cross

so that we can enjoy the life he has given us.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the early 2000’s, how it felt, what we wore, how the world looked. I think back to old barbie movies and digital cameras and pancakes on a Saturday morning. Or I think about the music and swing sets and popsicles. Childhood was so magical in many ways and I often will make myself sick with nostalgia just thinking about it. To be honest, I have been thinking about it a lot lately as someone who is about to graduate and become a “real” adult. What does it mean to truly grow up? Why do we miss childhood so much? What was it that made it so special?

I will see video’s on social media where they show old photos from the 2000’s with nostalgic music and every time there is an ache in me that I can’t describe. It’s like it was so recent yet so far away. Sometimes I think that world doesn’t exist anymore and we are simply too far gone to ever relive such a simple time as the 2000’s. I think about the Sephora tween girl catastrophe, child influencers, and iPad kids and wonder if their childhood will ever be able to compare to the one we had. It’s like I am nostalgic for a childhood that doesn’t exist anymore. I see kids now and wonder if they will ever experience what we got to, or if technology is too ingrained in our society that we wont ever experience a time so sweet as the early 2000’s.

Here are some fun photos of my childhood 🙂

Many things have changed since those days. I think about the chaotic state of the world and want to hide from the division and loss and grief I see all around me. I think about the way technology has practically found its way into every part of our lives to where it feels like there is no escape. From self order machines at McDonalds, self checkout, and 5 second videos, it all feels so devoid of human interaction. Everything has to be more efficient, or better, or quicker. The world is changing but I haven’t felt quite ready to change with it. I love aspects of this new age but other times I long for the simpler times of my childhood.

The thing is, childhood isn’t found in birthday parties or princess plates or days at the pool. All of these things still exist and can be enjoyed whenever we want too. I think the magic of childhood was found in being present and carefree. There were no notifications, emails, or texts to be checked. When we were at a birthday party of outside playing, we were fully present. We were able to notice the birds chirping and the sunlight shining through trees. We noticed the sweetness of ice cream and memorized the laughter of our friends because there was nothing else distracting us. Sometimes I wonder how different our lives and the world could look like if we put down the expectations and the distractions to fully enjoy the present moment. There is no past or future, just now. What a gift it is to live in the moment and trust that God will take care of the rest!

Another aspect of being a kid was dreaming big and having no concept of other people’s opinions. I can name off about 20 different jobs I wanted to do as a kid. Some were practical and others were not. Either way, it didn’t matter! We were so confident in who we were, what we liked, and who we loved. We dreamed big and had interests that were simply for enjoyment. As we became older, opinions become louder and those dreams became scarier. We became unsure and insecure in who we were because of what the world was saying or what other people thought. I would encourage anyone reading this that if you had childhood interests or dreams that have been discarded over the years, maybe pick them back up and see what God can do with it. The opinions of others will only slow us down to the calling and purpose you have been given. DREAM BIG and trust that everything will work out!

Maybe you and I don’t exactly have to accept this crazy reality the world wants us to live in. Maybe there is something better for us adults that want to hold on to aspects of our childhood. Maybe there is a way to live a simple and balanced life that doesn’t feel so overwhelming. I think that’s found in prioritizing human connection and conversation. Its found in being more intentional with photos and videos (hence why I love my digital and film camera so much!). It can be found in putting down the screens when we are together instead of being caught up with everything else happening in the world. It’s in noticing how the sun shines through trees and sets at night. Its in noticing the colors and shapes and vibrancy of nature around us. It’s in how we raise up future generations and giving them the magic we once received from our parents and family. Even though we may not live in the same world, we can bring aspects of that world to our present.

The reality is, there is so much beauty still around us. God knew the time he would set us in and the struggles of that. He is not surprised or shocked by how the world is. In fact, he gave each of us unique passions, talents, and things to care about that will make the world a better place. It is really up to us how we approach this world and how we make our own lives full of beauty and wonder. It may never be the same as it was when we were kids, but I will gladly take all the glimmers of childhood magic that I can in this modern age 🙂