27 March, 2010

Childhood Magic


"Great... is he who does not lose his child's-heart." ~Mencius, Book IV

"A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement... [a] clear-eyed vision [and] true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring." ~Rachel Carson

"Like a forgotten fire, childhood can always flare up again within us." ~Gaston Bachelard

"I am often accused of being childish. I prefer to interpret that as child-like. I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things. I tend to exaggerate and fantasize and embellish. I still listen to instinctual urges. I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind. I never water my garden without soaking myself. It has been after such times of joy that I have achieved my greatest creativity and produced my best work." ~Leo F. Buscaglia

"Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap." ~Robert Fulghum

"My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is." ~Ron Olson

"...Forget your years to-day and come
As children back to childhood's house."
~Phoebe Cary

"One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination." ~Sam Levenson

"The end of childhood is when things cease to astonish us. When the world seems familiar, when one has got used to existence, one has become an adult." ~Eugene Ionesco

"In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

"Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present." ~Jean de la Bruyere

"We must remain as close to the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies as the child is who is not yet so much taller than they are... Whoever would partake of all good things must understand how to be small at times." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

"Happy is he who still loves something he loved in the nursery: He has not been broken in two by time; he is not two men, but one, and he has saved not only his soul but his life." ~G.K. Chesterton

"Every child is an artist." ~Pablo Picasso

Treasure the magic of childhood in your heart and carry it with you through all your walks of life. Never stop searching for enchantment and beauty.
All of the beautiful paintings are by the talented Greg Olsen.

4 comments:

Mademoiselle N.D. said...

Such a heart-warming post! The images and quotes are beautiful. Leo has a good point about being child-like. This is why magazines such as Success (article titled "Think Like A Child") and companies such as Google with their imagination-encouraging headquarters are turning to reviving the advantageous thought-processes that children have.

Such a Wondrous Place this Faery Space said...

These are beautiful, your posts shine like a ray. Blessings and thanks for the sweetest words.

Sir William said...

The greatest danger against the innocence of childhood seems to come from people who have already lost their own magic. It is unfortunate when we have to hide that inner beauty from them as we attend our daily duties and responsibilities, but so refreshing and encouraging to read reminders such as these to keep that spirit alive in our hearts.

Grandma S said...

I love all the new pictures and quotes. We adults sometimes forget how magical youth can be....no future, no past, just the present. A young mind and heart is a gift to cherish!