The Child is Father to the Man

Categories: Blog, Guest Post Dec 10, 2017

And now, some thoughts from Mark Limbaga, OS Certified Professional - Pro and friend....

In roughly four weeks, my son shall make his long-awaited debut into this world.

As a first-time father, I will not lie. I am feeling mixed emotions of both anxiety and excitement at the same time. I have so many questions.

Like, “Do I have the right stuff to become a great father?”, and “What type of son shall my child grow up to be?”

While these questions remain to be seen, I am fortunate enough to draw wisdom from my mother who once cited the phrase, "the child is father to the man."

Now what exactly does this mean?  I think what it means is that all our thoughts, surroundings, and habits formed during childhood are what will one day shape us as the adult we will become.

If this is correct, and I believe it is, how does this knowledge benefit us today? I know how this can benefit my yet-to-be born son. I can surround him love, a positive environment, and try to provide the opportunity for good experiences that will help shape him as an adult. At least that is my desire. But how can I benefit from this? As adults, are we permanently shaped from out childhood, good or bad?

I don’t think so. I think the beautiful thing about children is that they see and absorb information through child-like eyes full of wonder. What if as adults, we too tried to look at things like a child again.

What if we approached our surroundings and circumstances through a lens of exploration and curiosity. What if we really listened with imagination, touched with wonder, and moved for the simple joy of moving? I believe if we began to approach life this way, we would become the adult we were meant to be; an adult who was resilient in spirit, body, and mind. An adult whose life was contagious.

I know we are not children anymore, but what would our lives look like, or who could we become, if we fed on a steady diet of good things like love, laughter, compassion, hope and joy? I think we’d be strong enough to move the world without even having a lever and a place to stand.

No matter our age, we are always a child. It’s never too late to grow into who we are meant to become. It’s never too late to see as a child does. Press RESET on your vision. See with wonder. Move with joy. Be curious about who you are to be. It’s never too late.

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