Beyond Adulting

Yes… that is Rev. Jonathan in the top picture.

“The only drag about adulthood is we think we need to act like an adult.”
-Rev. Patrick Feren

I just came across this quote from the time I was on the Sacred Journey of Childlike Wonder about a month ago. It was something I needed to hear today because I have been struggling a little with adulting in the last couple days. What does that mean exactly? It means that I was not finding joy in what may be considered the mundane tasks of living.

My husband, Dane, and I are in the midst of buying a house. Buying a house is one of the most “adult” things you can do. In the decisions surrounding the house buying process we are considering not just where we live physically, but we also take into consideration what it means for our financial future and security? What does it mean in relation to our ability to “get up and go?” There are benefits and limitations in this process, and we are diligent in taking it all into consideration. I guess that’s adulting.

I am excited about buying the house, yet I am not finding joy in the mundane aspects of the process. At least once per day I find myself saying to Dane, “I can’t wait until we close.”

I think the question I needed to have answered today in my spiritual practice was this… what is fundamentally going to be different when we close escrow? Yes, we will own the home… but that’s really it. There is not a thing that will change within me. The act of buying a home doesn’t change the core of my being. I am who I am… and there is nothing in the world of circumstance that will ever change that.

I can own a home and approach life with childlike wonder. That doesn’t mean acting in a manner that is immature. I can be mature in my expression of life, but also look upon all things with awe—like a child. Isn’t that truly the magnificent part of childhood? Everything is new and exciting. The entire world is to be explored.

One of the great things about the house we are about to buy is its location. We are sandwiched between a park and the Pantano Wash. Along the Pantano Wash is a portion of the walking and biking trail recently constructed in Tucson  called “The Loop” (http://webcms.pima.gov/government/the_loop/). I love this location because I can easily hop onto The Loop and walk. Since The Loop runs along the banks of riverbeds it feels separate from city life.

I walk along the nearest Loop path at least once or twice a week. While on the path it is more than just walking, I allow myself to deepen into my childlike wonder and observe the awesome nature all around me. I keep my eyes open and see the world as though it were the first time.

This takes practice and a commitment to not take it all for granted. I can bring this nature to the rest of my life’s experiences… like buying a house. I have never bought a house before. I can revel in the wonder of the process. I get to set the course and tone of my experience because of who I am.

Who am I? I am the presence of God currently clothed in my uniquely inspired form. There is not an aspect of me that is not God. There is a Divine blueprint at the core of my being, and the more I rebuild my experience of life based on that Divine blueprint, the more joy I find… even in the mundane. God is both the adult and the child in me.