The enthusiasm of a child....

Lunch today was eventful.

My friend David and I were served by an eight year old child. She was our waitress.

Her mom works in the kitchen at the restaurant. This pint-size server was helping the other servers.

Now, let me tell you about the light that this child was to the customers. Why, she would bound up to the table, completely focused on the task at hand and enthusiastically serve, and ask questions, such as "Does it taste good!" "Do you want more ice!" "Do you want another drink!" "Are you all finished? Can I take this out of your way!" She danced while she was asking these questions, and just locked eyes with whom ever she was speaking.

Her name was RENEE! So she announced! She lived fully in the moment of her task at hand. She was so delightful to watch. And then, I thought about some things when I left the restaurant. Things that were inspired by watching little Renee so engrossed in her moment as a server.

I thought about some of the other servers...their minds were heavy with other thoughts when they approached the table. Their lives having been colored by experience. Been colored by their enthusiasm being, shall I say, erased....or dented. If you were to have told little Renee that she cannot do or be whatever she had set out to do -- and in this case it was waitressing, she would have ignored you...and continued on her merry little way. But, maybe she would have had a dent -- in her feelings that may have altered the course of her day....of her thoughts.

I immersed myself in Renee's enthusiasm. She was out to do her best. Show her skill, show that SHE CAN DO IT -- just like the big girls whom she shadowed in their roles as a server. It made me think about the fragility of us all...as little children, deep inside, who want to be praised and understood and encouraged -- we want to be considered precious and fragile and strong at the same time. We want to be known as little and big. We want to be noticed and respected...treasured and held. Touched and loved and spoken to with interest and kindness.

To live life with the enthusiasm of a child, no matter what we HAVE to do in life. I want to approach life that way. . .because we all know the have to do's --- the jobs that we end up having to do, to pay our dues, to get to the destination. Like paying tolls on the highway to our dreams. But let us be enthusiastic and hopeful, and skip along, KNOWING with faith and purpose that what we have set out to do, so moves us, makes us dance, makes us feel special and strong...no matter what that is.

We may not SEE the end in sight with our plain eyes...but we can feel it in our gut. And that ought to make us BEAM like little RENEE, so that no matter what we have to do, we may BEAM with enthusiasm, knowing deep in our souls that the minute that we are spending, we are living and we shall do it with enthusiasm. And if the minute we are living is wraught with a tragedy or situation that so pains us, let us be able to seek comfort from the giant enthusiasm of love inside ourselves, that cares for us and speaks to us like the most important little big person in the world.

Let us live with the wonder and enthusiasm of a child, in each moment. Let us refresh ourselves with that boundless energy and hope. And let us GREET one another as if the other is that special, bright light, greet the soulful child of the other even if that person is a bitch of a person...let us NOT greet that dark energy...but realize the bounding energy, enthusiastic and strong and willing and able and wanting to connect with that wonderful childlike innocence.

Let's make the child in another smile....and let's make the child within ourselves smile.