Children are Unafraid of Asking for Love
One of the many reasons I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren is their complete lack of inhibition around asking for what they want. Last Christmas, for example, one of them, Megan, was attached to my hip almost the entire time she was at our home.
Whenever she wanted me to sit with her, or hold her, or go on a walk, or play, she didn’t drop hints. She didn’t agonize over whether it was the right time. She just ran across the room and jumped up into my lap, certain that I couldn’t possibly have anything in the world more important to do than be with her.
My grandson Jack expresses his desires with similar freedom. Taking me by the hand and pulling me behind him, he says, “Come me now.”
Adults are Afraid when Asking for Love
Regrettably, my experience with adults is quite different. They weigh the pros and cons of asking for what they want, they consider the past consequences of making requests, they wonder what people will think of them, and they think about what they can do to manipulate people to get what they want.
In short, adults are mostly cautious—afraid, really—about asking for their needs to be met.
If we love our children fully, they won’t grow up to be afraid of asking for the love they need. They won’t be afraid of much at all.
We have that opportunity, to love them and give them a perspective on the world that is trusting and vulnerable. It gives them the power to make real choices instead of just reacting to their fears.
What a gift we can give them.
