My 5 year old Lily is my WILD CHILD. She is the one who paints with her whole hands rather than with a brush.
She’s the one who always looks like this after playing outside with chalk: 
She is the one with the BIGGEST feelings; an empath who is deeply attuned to everyone around her, while simultaneously living in her own little fantasy world. Lily world.
I feel like I’m learning so much from my little wildling, and the way she can live so freely and in the here and now is something we should all strive for!
This weekend we spent some mother-daughter time at Inflatapalooza.
When one of her favorite songs was played, she said, “Let’s dance!” and got up to dance right there, not caring who was watching or what she looked like:
Imagine this FREEDOM!
After that, we went to a playground where she immediately introduced herself to another little girl and became best friends with her. The girl’s mother told me that her daughter was normally so introverted – but my Lily just stormed off.
Imagine how easy it would be to make friends as adults if we could still live so fearlessly!
After that we went fishing with Cory’s Lil’ Anglers. She caught her first fish and jumped to Olympic heights to celebrate. She responded with the same enthusiasm and celebratory spirit to everyone else around her when they caught a fish and gave words of encouragement when they didn’t.
Imagine if everyone acted with so much compassion, kindness and openness.
I look at my little girl and see all the good in the world. But I also see my beautiful wild child, my sweet free spirit, whose exuberant energy is not always appreciated in this one-size-fits-all world.
Lily was wild since the day she was born.
I remember looking at her little face and marveling that this ENTIRE personality—this relentlessly determined, endlessly energetic, and eternally creative little BEING—came from *me*.
I knew very early on that Lily was here to make a huge impact on the world and I just hope I can help her do that.
I’m afraid that I’ll somehow destroy her vibrant spirit.
I’m afraid the world is destroying them by forcing them to conform to certain standards.
There is NO ONE like her in the world and I don’t want her to feel like it’s a “bad” thing and that she has to be like everyone else.
Being able to enjoy life with her free-spirited side is the most beautiful adventure of my life and the greatest privilege.
Is there a wild child in your life?
