The Eyes of a Child
I’m friends with a young girl named Sahara. She’s 10 months old. Her eyes are bright, alive, interested, and honest.
I watch Sahara move, she looks at you while her interest is – and she looks away when interest isn’t. Her interest isn’t tinged with judgment though – we know she doesn’t have anything against us. It isn’t a child’s nature. It’s natural choice. The moment she isn’t interested in you, she’s immediately gone. She says yes with bright noises, bursts of joy. To food she says yes by becoming thoroughly absorbed in chewing and tasting. And although she doesn’t speak yet – she certainly knows how to say no, in many different ways!
Even in her crying, her eyes are clear of the residue of judgment. How sweet this is! A child’s eyes – she doesn’t condemn. It isn’t in her nature. Tangibly, the presence is there. To be around an animal or a child, it’s similar in the sense that there is no pretense. They often become the center of attention at a party, animals and children, because they are so radiant and free of pretense. It feels so good to be around no pretense. Just clear and here. I love this. It’s easy to give affection in this space.
It is to be fully here – any of our pretense is an avoidance, an avoidance of coming fully to this moment. Of being here and now fully. If the eyes have the cloud of judgement, it is only avoidance of being with one another fully. We can do this though. All of us can live fully – be harmoniously with all people and things in our worlds. Why half-commit to this moment? Right now, as you read this, Sahara is “all in”. Silently, with bright hopeful eyes, she’s asking us to “go all in” with her.
Innocence to us.
~ Roger
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