The Pleasures of Being Young

Innocence is a virtue we all seem to lose as we approach adulthood. I know from my own experiences that I could not wait to grow up and take on the world. Being young was not the joy I valued, knowledge, experiences and independence were of more important. My father always joked with me that I had the body of a little girl but the mind of a thirty year old. He like many fathers I am sure do tried to make me realize that every thing comes in time and to enjoy my time as a child.
This charcoal and conte' white charcoal I did years ago as a mother's day gift. It was not until I became a mom or sorts "step mother" to my boyfriend's amazing daughter that I realized all that I had missed and the simplicity that comes with being a child. I lost that innocence that I now see in Elena my future step daughter. There are so many things a child should never have to go through.I am very much proof of that.
Psychologically as a child I lost my ability to live happily and enjoy those things that all children deserve to do. Having gone to a small elementary school I was picked on for the all 7 years I attended school. I came to fear the girls in my school and played to their mental games. I could not even make a decision with out the fear of the teasing and ostracizing that I might get the following day at school. This ranged from new shoes to clothes to how my hair was done. This torment silenced me for years and caused me to yearn for a true friend as well as a trust worthy friend. Loyalty meant more to me than anything and time after time it failed to be honored by the other side.
Now at 27 years of age going on 28 in a week, I still think of the hurt and fear I felt for so many years because of this teasing. The only sanctuary I had aside from my family was horse back riding. Even in this I was not the fearless competitor I should have been.
Elena who is an amazing little girl deals with a split family scenario and two very different sets of parents. And yet she is still able to switch those hats from each family with out much trouble. I encourage her to express herself and to try anything and everything now from ballet, to horse back riding, to gymnastics, to rock climbing, etc. I encourage her to do this so that when she looks back as an adult, she does not feel the regret and anger that I have with myself.
I am no doctor but I have studied art for years and have been asked to write paper after paper on the artists intent, what time period = the genera' of the piece all the way to why an artist would choose to reproduce the same image maybe just in a slightly different way. Children do this without even realizing it. They draw places where they feel most happy, they use colors that celebrate their emotions.
I guess I will end with direct questions for anyone who reads this. Why do children torment other children? Why do the parents not step in and help bring about a change? Why do clear signs of a troubled youth go unnoticed and develop into a ball of fear or anger or both? The truth is there is a very easy way to know how your child is feeling, what fears they have and even how they feel about themselves. You can find this in their drawings, their crafts and even how the treat their toys.

Side note: the other painting is a quick exercise I painting through a mood, memory or a specific feeling. The piece is titled: Silenced, 2002, Acrylics on Bristol,