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Spice of life: Finding lost childhood by rekindling wonder

BySonika Sethi
Nov 13, 2024 08:48 AM IST

This Children’s Day, let’s encourage our young ones to step outside, explore the beauty of the natural world, and nurture a genuine curiosity about the world around them

As I walked down the familiar path to my department, a branch of a nearby tree caught my eye, stretching far beyond the confines of its parent plant. It reached out to the other plants in its vicinity, its limbs seeking something — perhaps freedom, or perhaps something it couldn’t quite name.

This Children’s Day, let’s encourage our young ones to step outside, explore the beauty of the natural world, and nurture a genuine curiosity about the world around them. (HT File)
This Children’s Day, let’s encourage our young ones to step outside, explore the beauty of the natural world, and nurture a genuine curiosity about the world around them. (HT File)

I paused, my thoughts meandering like the branch itself. Could this be the prodigal child of the tree, boldly outgrowing the tight embrace of its parent? And then, a strange thought: Do plants have emotions like us? Does the parent tree feel the absence of its wandering offspring? Will it ever welcome the wayward branch back, or has it already let go?

The mystery lingered, like the quiet wonder of childhood, forever seeking, forever questioning, stretching toward the world beyond, learning, growing, and wondering if we’ll ever truly know about this vast world.

Amid a world buzzing with endless notifications, I couldn’t help but reflect on the curious nature of children — always questioning and seeking answers. But now, as I scrolled through the endless flood of social media messages, I found myself wondering if something had shifted. The stream of half-truths, twisted facts, and outright fabrications had somehow blunted the sharp edge of that childlike inquisitiveness.

The once-vibrant spark of wonder has been replaced by a quiet, almost perpetual look of lostness — an expression born of countless hours spent skimming, sifting, and gleaning fragments of information from the glowing screen. What was once an eager search for knowledge now feels like an endless chase, leaving only a lingering sense of disconnection, as if the deeper curiosity has been buried beneath the surface noise of the digital world.

Was it possible that, in this whirlwind of information, the simple joy of wonder had been lost? The truth seemed harder to grasp, obscured by the noise. I imagined a child, once wide-eyed and full of questions, now trying to sift through a maze of misleading whispers and half-baked answers. Could they still find the truth beneath the clutter? Could they still hold onto the innocence of asking questions for the sake of discovery?

Lost in my own thoughts, I made my way home. As usual, I headed to my brother-in-law’s children’s room to say hello, only to find out that the elder one had to go to school that night for a ‘stargazing’ event. It brought back memories of similar nights my own daughters had experienced — special events organised by their school to spark curiosity and a deep sense of wonder about the universe. Students would spend hours observing constellations and planets through telescopes, enjoying snacks, and later, as the night wore on, lying down on mattresses under the vast sky, mesmerised by the twinkling stars above.

In this digital era, it’s unrealistic — and even unwise — to keep children away from gadgets. However, one of the best ways we can rekindle their dwindling sense of wonder is by bringing them closer to nature. This Children’s Day, let’s encourage our young ones to step outside, explore the beauty of the natural world, and nurture a genuine curiosity about the world around them. Let’s give them the gift of experiences that open their minds and hearts, fostering a love for discovery that no screen can replace. sonrok15@gmail.com

The writer is an associate professor of English at SD College, Ambala Cantt.

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