Generational Stories and Games

Remember the Peter Pan song from the Disney movie version…

I won’t grow up
I won’t grow up
I don’t want to go to school.
I don’t want to go to school
Just to learn to be a parrot
Just to learn to be a parrot
And recite a silly rule
And recite a silly rule.
If growing up means it would be
Beneath my dignity to climb a tree,
I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up
Not me
Not I
Not me!

Bummer.

Not wanting to grow up.

Sure, I get it.

Work…

Responsibilities…

More complicated relationships…

Realizing not everyone is our friend…

That phase is so cool, when everyone – every single person – that a little kid meets is his friend, her best friend. 

I get that growing up means a deeper understanding of sickness and grief and what we can do (and what we can’t) and what it all means.

I get all that.

But.

Growing up does not mean leaving behind the idea of magic.

As a matter of fact, as we grown-ups get older, we often rediscover the importance of everyday magic.  Of being present for extraordinary in each ordinary day.

Sure, maybe we didn’t grow up to be princesses or firemen, park rangers or lion tamers.

But we have known the magic of love…

Of finding ways to laugh until we have tears running down our faces even when we have the worst jobs, or have suffered miserable failures, or have lost someone we love.

We’ve seen springs return after crushing winters.

We’ve watched people rise from ashes… stronger than they ever thought they could be.

We have marveled at sunrises and sunsets…

Wished on shooting stars…

And, c’mon, we still believe there is a chance – just a chance – that our wish might come true.

In growing up, we get to transition from appreciating magic, to being its keepers.

And we get to create it for others, if we are lucky.

And appreciate its effects, if we are luckier still.

Because if we don’t do this – if we don’t embrace wonder, and make it completely, entirely, absolutely, fully, utterly, thoroughly, and perfectly obvious that there is magic to be found in our adult-y, everyday lives…

Why would anyone ever want to grow up?

Thanks for readin’.

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