In the middle of a quick conversation with a friend, a bit of wisdom came out.

We were chatting and laughing while at a library cookie fundraising event. As he walked away, he turned, smiled, raised his cookies and stated: “We should never lose the child within us.”

It was such an uplifting moment. During the rest of the event and when a cookie was purchased, these words of wisdom made the event a heck of a good time!

Therefore, let us never lose the child within us.

If you want to dance, do it! Dance in the freedom of the moment and movement that a child would use. Who cares if you are moving to the beat? Wave your arms, spin on your feet, do some head banging and let the dance allow you to remember the child within you.

And, if you need some encouragement, watch the floating bubbles of a sparkling wine. They dance, too.

As adults, we get too used to speaking like an adult. Of course, that’s natural verbal evolution. However, if you want to ask a child like question, why not do it? Others will probably be relieved that someone had the courage to do so.

When you taste a new wine and are asked what it tastes like, simply replying that it tastes like a wine will lift the spirits of everyone.

We all enjoy a treat, right? If the desert you are eating pleases you, let the pleasure show. If possible, let the pastry chef or whomever made the treat know how delicious it is to you. Be happy in the moment and let that child inside you laugh, giggle or squeal with delight.

In the same manner, let your exuberance for a good beverage be made known. There is a Rob Roy cocktail calling to me today, and being Minnesota Nice, I’ll embrace that loverly Scotch based beverage with a hearty laugh and a sigh of contentment.

Walking through a little park that is lined with many beautiful flowers, a little child in front of me kept looking back at me as I was smiling about the flowers. She pointed to a bunch of purple and white pansy flowers and smiled at me. I pointed at them, too, and returned the smile.

She reminded me to let out the child within me.

And speaking of smiling, how about we let out our child like giggle once in awhile? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot of goodness around us, and a good giggle is always welcome.

There always a child within us. That child was scarred at times, and scared at times. But eventually, the child’s laugh was always there.

May the child within you forever shine.

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!