Reverence and Wonder: Nurturing the Sacred in Childhood and Beyond
There's something profound about the way children experience beauty in the world – as children we have a pure, unfiltered connection that most of us lose somewhere along the way to adulthood. Those instances when the world reveals itself in all its unexpected magic aren't just sweet moments; they are glimpses into the essence of life itself.
The Forgotten Art of Wonder
Remember how, as a child, you could spend hours watching an ant trail, collect twigs and leaves as treasures to take home, or filled with wonder at how light through the window created patterns on the floors. Those weren't just idle moments. We might have called it “"lost in daydreaming”. These quiet, focused experiences can be like a deep communion with the world around you – a kind of sensory meditation we've mostly forgotten how to practice.
Young children naturally embody wonder and reverence. For them, everything is awe-inspiring; they encounter each moment as if for the first time. This natural capacity for wonder offers us, as adults, a powerful pathway back to our own reverent nature. When we observe children's spontaneous expressions of awe, we're witnessing reverence in its purest form.
In those precious years of childhood, we have a chance, as we accompany children on their learning journey, to allow an expansion of our relationship with beauty. It helps us remember and reconnect to the sense of openness and possibility. The heart awakens to a broader, more nuanced understanding of connection. Beauty once again deepens into more than the visual experience – it becomes a language, a way of understanding ourselves and the world.
These early experiences of wonder create neural pathways of perception that stay with us. When we collect moments of beauty, we're actually building a reservoir of resilience. These aren't just pretty memories; they're emotional resources we can draw upon during challenging times.
Understanding Reverence
But what exactly is reverence? It transcends our ordinary categories of experience – existing beyond likes and dislikes, right and wrong. Reverence is a universal quality that simultaneously recognizes the uniqueness of every being and thing while connecting us to something larger than ourselves.
While gratitude is closely linked to reverence, reverence extends further, touching something deeper in our human experience. And though many associate it with religion, true reverence exists beyond any set rules or fixed beliefs. Rather, it brings us back to a fundamental wisdom—an embodied knowing that connects us to the world in profound ways.
Cultivating Reverence in Ourselves
Before we can nurture and keep alive reverence in children, we must first cultivate it within ourselves. Little children primarily absorb what we do, not what we say. Our words must accompany authentic feeling; otherwise, they remain empty vessels, unable to carry the transformative power of true reverence.
How do we develop this authentic reverence? We begin by becoming more curious. By slowing down, and creating pause points. By opening our eyes to see more fully and letting go of our narrow views. This expanded vision creates space for wonder to emerge—wonder that reconnects us with the extraordinary nature of ordinary things. When we practice encountering the world as if for the first time, we align ourselves with children's natural way of being.
In moments of reverence, our physiology actually changes. Our breathing deepens, our nervous system calms, and we become more receptive. This state of openness creates space for wisdom to emerge, allowing the essence of people, plants, animals, or the breathtaking beauty of nature to speak to us without projection. Reverence is not idolizing but remembering—recalling our fundamental connection to all of life.
A Practice of Collecting Beauty
What would happen if we treated beauty as a practice? Not as something passive we consume, but as an active way of perceiving the world? What if we understood that our capacity for wonder is a muscle that needs regular exercise?
Consider starting a small practice of collecting beauty. Not only photographing it – though that can be wonderful – but truly receiving it. A collection of experiences: the way light catches an object in a room, a stranger's unexpected kindness, the first green shoots of spring. Some days it might be a word, a feeling, a memory that feels luminous.
In our hyper-productive world, these moments might seem too indulgent. Why not reframe this self limiting thought and consider how they could be nourishment for the soul. They teach us how to be present, how to receive, how to marvel.
Practical Ways to Cultivate Reverence with Children
Reverent Moments in Daily Life
Simple daily practices can anchor reverence in family or classroom life:
Light a candle at mealtimes to express gratitude for both food and companionship
Transform storytime into a sacred moment by approaching it as a magical, imaginative possibility that carries wisdom beyond the literal words
Take nature walks with the explicit intention of noticing beauty – a tiny insect, a budding flower, the miracle of life revealing itself in countless forms
The Power of Rhythm and Repetition
Reverence thrives within the rhythms of daily life. Young children need safety and security through predictable patterns:
Establish beautiful rituals as anchors—morning gatherings, transitional songs, bedtime stories
Honour children's developmental stages by attuning to their specific needs
Keep your approach simple and unhurried, creating space to fully participate in moments of wonder
Remember that slowing down isn’t giving up, or being selfish or weak—it's necessary for reverence to flourish
Creating Beautiful Environments
The physical environment profoundly influences our capacity for reverence:
Create beauty through thoughtful simplicity at home or in the classroom
Consider a nature table with subtle colours and a few carefully selected items—perhaps just a twig with a bud, a single leaf, or a special stone on a beautifully soft coloured cloth
Remember that it's your feeling toward these simple treasures that allows children to attune to and express their natural wonder
Honouring Festivals and Special Occasions
Festivals and seasonal celebrations offer us all opportunities for cultivating reverence with children. These occasions, often aligned with the earth's natural cycles, connect us in our sense of wholeness to the rhythms of nature and the deeper meaning of the passage of time. What makes these moments special isn't necessarily elaborate decorations or expensive gifts, but the quality of presence we bring to them.
When we celebrate festivals with young children, simplicity is key. A few meaningful elements— natural decorations such as flowers, colours, music, lighting, foods prepared with intention and care—create a sense of the extraordinary within the ordinary. Our inner mood as adults is the true vessel for these experiences; children sense when we approach these moments with authentic reverence rather than distracted or resentful obligation.
Stories become particularly powerful during festival times, creating a bridge between the visible and invisible aspects of our daily lives. Whether telling tales of light returning during winter solstice celebrations, sharing spring renewal stories at Easter, or exploring cultural heritage through traditional narratives, these stories create a reverent mood that transforms the atmosphere.
The inner attitude we cultivate—our genuine wonder, gratitude, and presence—holds the space for children to absorb not just the outer forms of celebration, but their essential meaning. In this way, festivals become not just events on a calendar but opportunities for profound connection with ourselves, each other, and the cycles of the earth where we belong.
The Transformative Power of Reverence
When we honour children's being—when we recognize the miracle that they are—we create more peace and harmony in our relationships and communities. Through reverence, we model respect for life that transcends surface-level and practical interactions.
Reverence nourishes both children and adults, calming our often-frenzied nervous systems and creating space for deeper connection. In reverent moments, we move beyond words into direct experience, which is why reverence offers such a powerful medium for connecting with very young children who dwell primarily in non-verbal realms.
Our childhood selves knew this instinctively. Before we learned to filter, to judge, to categorize – we simply experienced. We were open. Curious. Endlessly fascinated. The heart has its own wisdom.
As we practice reverence, we discover that it doesn't require teaching so much as showing. By modeling ways of connecting to reverence, we plant seeds in children's unconscious experience that will grow into resilience for the future—a capacity to recognize and honour the sacred in everyday life, to meet challenges with a deeper trust that in the beauty of the world, the hard times will pass and a deeper goodness will prevail.
The invitation is always there: to pause, to notice, to allow ourselves to be surprised. What catches your eye? What makes your heart soften? What reminds you that you're part of something larger than your daily concerns?
In reclaiming this capacity for wonder and reverence, we don't just enhance our children's lives—we reclaim an essential part of our own humanity.
Join Me on a Deeper Journey
If these reflections on reverence have resonated with you, I invite you to continue this exploration as a section in my new course, "The Heart of Childhood.” We look at ways to cultivate reverence that creates more peace and harmony in your home. This transformative journey offers not just concepts but lived experiences—daily practices, guided reflections, and a supportive community to help us remember and restore our own knowing of the sacred nature of our lives.
My book "The Heart of Childhood: Reclaiming Connection and Presence” will be released by early summer 2025. Discover how reverence can become the foundation for a more connected, joyful relationship with the children in your life, with yourself and with the world we all live in.
Early registration to order the book and to receive the workbook, or to attend the course and is now open, with limited spaces available to ensure personalized guidance throughout our shared journey. Email us at the contact on the website, go to the page My Book, and we will keep you updated.
Warmest wishes
Julie Lam