Children can astonish and inspire us with their insight. When unspoiled by the inevitable afflictions of life, they are a reflection of the divine within all of us. It is no wonder many adults long for a smidgen of the joy, peace and freedom experienced during childhood. Some may even wish to return. Innocence shielded us from much of the darkness that magnifies with time—that which can overpower us as we grow older. Harsh experiences and hate are factors that feed the darkness. As children we were free to dream, free to create and escape into the limitlessness of our imagination. It is what saved many of us, especially when we would have begun to feel the effects of the darkness.
In this time of COVID-19, children are more likely to escape the severity of the pandemic as not only are they are less likely to be infected but they are also less likely to have to face the toll it takes on our mental health. (If they lose loved ones like parents however, they may not be spared. For mourning lends to the darkness.)
