Can't Seem to Find that Place Called Neverland

"Every time a child says, 'I don't believe in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead."

-Peter Pan



I really like the story of Peter Pan. I saw the musical once, and seeing it live was absolutely wonderful. I'll admit, I can be quite the nerd when it comes to literature/history/art. I'm not ashamed. But seriously, I think I was happy for days after I saw the live performance. There's just something about going to a world where you can stay young and innocent forever and fly about with fairy dust that gets me.



As wonderful a story as Peter Pan is, I'm afraid there is no Neverland. Some people seem to search for that forever youth and never find it. No, botox and plastic surgery are not the least bit close to finding Neverland. Michael Jackson's amusement park doesn't count either. Sometimes I think going to Neverland would be a nice thing. Let me tell you why. . .



I am not the least bit afraid of growing old. I loved being a child. But I also love where I'm at right now. I have no doubt that I will also love being 50 when I'm at that point in my life. But there is just something about the innocence of children that gets me. When you are a kid, you have dreams bigger than life itself and nothing can stop you. And kids never really get sad. They don't have a worry in the world. The biggest worry a kid might have is if they fall down and scrape a knee.



As I get older, I realize there is more to worry about. I've especially been worrying about others lately. There are many people in my life that I grew up with, who are struggling with different things. These are people I scraped knees with as a kid. But these people are scraping up a lot more than just knees nowadays. I am the kind of person that thinks I need to do something to save people. But I am learning that saving others is not my job. They can make their own choices. It's not up to me. After all, I have my own choices to worry about making. But I'm always here if anyone comes to me, needing me.



I was having a discussion with one of my very good friends and she said,



"Kels, we can worry all we want and it might not change anything. Except make us do a lot of worrying. You can't change what a person is doing. It's up to them to choose to change. They have to decide for themselves."



She's a wise friend, and I knew she was right. I cannot make another person's choices for them. That might be pretty dangerous, actually. But what I can do. . . .is clap.



In the live performance of Peter Pan, there is a scene that is my absolute favorite. This is when Tink is dying and Peter turns to the crowd, desperately trying to save her. He speaks to the audience, saying,



"Do you believe in fairies? If you believe, clap your hands; don't let Tink die."



The audience then begins clapping, softly at first, until it grows to an overwhelming applaud.



I believe. I still believe in my friends that are messing up. And I'll keep believing and clapping for them until they, in a sense, come alive again.



"When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies."

-Peter Pan