When I was a child, I thought as a child.
I remember singing the children’s song “I want to be a pilot like this and like this” with all joy and naivety. Childhood thinking was practical magic.
It is small, simple, urgent, safe, and delightfully strange. The innocence, the wonder, the simplicity with which we view the world is something to marvel at.
I remember thinking life was mostly about waking up, eating, going to school, playtime, snacks, cartoons, and the beauty of building towers with sand.
But, life has a way of teaching us, moulding us, and stretching us. And somehow, we’ve learned to move with the rhythm of life, letting its tides carry us with quiet grace.
What life throws at us arrives quickly even beyond our imaginations. It helps us to push away childish things, and teaches us to survive as an adult. It stirs up curiosity as we begin to question motives, wrestle doubt, and carry burdens. The world, once magical, becomes unpredictable, unfair, and often overwhelming. Sometimes, it’s soft, and merciful.
We were never truly lonely as children. Loneliness had no place in our world. Our days were filled with noise, imagination, and the warmth of simple joys.
Even in the absence of people, we created company out of toys, the sound of our own voices, jumping on the bed, bathing in the rain, and many more. Untouched by the complexities of adulthood, our hearts were light.
But as we grew older, loneliness began to creep and wrap itself around the heart, whispering doubts and echoing silence. The world demanded more. We became too aware, too cautious, and more curious. The friendships that once blossomed in minutes now take years to build.
Now talking about friendship, isn’t friendship meant to be something deep, grounding, and beautiful, just like every child would think? Yet, everything in life comes in seasons and shades, and there is always a mix of the good and the bad.
I've had friends who were too competitive. The kind who turned everything into a contest. Instead of support, there was silent rivalry. Instead of celebrating each other's wins, there was comparison. This kept me away from people. Not because I don’t want friends, but because I feared the pressure to prove myself where I should feel safe. So I pulled back, valuing my peace over performance, and the importance of surrounding myself with people who genuinely want to see me grow, not just compete with me.
Sometimes, what life throws at us is not always fair, but it is almost always teaching. Every experience, even the painful ones, has something to teach about ourselves, about people, about faith, about strength. Sometimes the lesson is patience. Sometimes it’s discernment. Sometimes, it's honesty, and sometimes, it’s silence.
What feels like delay may be protecting us from something not meant for our good. What feels like rejection could be grace in disguise. And sometimes, what we desire so much is just waiting for its appropriate time of fulfillment.
I remember wanting some things so bad that I had to write them down. But now, when I look back, I realize that not getting them when I wanted was a form of grace I didn’t understand at the time. Probably, some of those desires would have overwhelmed me.
I’ve come to understand that the space between asking and receiving is where we grow the most. It is where our faith is stretched, and our character built. Unlike childhood where desire often meets instant gratification. We ask, and we receive, almost immediately. But adulthood teaches a different rhythm as reality unfolds before our eyes.
Although I still write things down and dream boldly, I also rest in the truth that the right things, at the right time, won’t miss me. They’ll definitely come for me at the appropriate time. With this, what life throws at me is trusting that things will definitely fall in place.
In all, I’ve come to understand that what life throws at us, the good, the bad, the ugly, the joy, the pain, the waiting and the lessons, all come together to shape who we become. More than anything, it shows us how much we’ve grown into life.
So when life throws its weight, we learn to bend, not break. We learn to adjust or adapt to life’s situations. We may not always understand the reasons behind the change, struggles, challenges or delays, yet we trust the process, holding on to the hope that, somehow, everything is working together, shaping us for something greater.