There is another reason that I like the photo so much - It represents, to me, the innocence and joyful nature of childhood...seeing happiness in the simplest of things (in this case just sharing a giggling fit over nothing much) and meeting each day with an openness and welcoming spirit - excited for what the day will bring.
The boys just recently moved to a new house that sits on a hill with an ocean view. For the first time they will not be sharing a room together or bunkbeds after 9 years of being together in the same room. I loved their logic in how they chose which boy would have which room in the new house. Enzo (the older brother) explained it succinctly - "My room is a little bigger but Huddle has an ocean view so it's fair." Huddle agreed and it is fair.
Children are so special and they reflect what they are taught. Raise them with kindness and love and that's how they will see the world. I just today read about a little girl who is severely hearing impaired and her whole kindergarten class learned sign language in order to be able to include her at school; not because they were told that they had to but because they wanted to. It was the right thing to do and they did it instinctively so they can all play together.
We, as adults, need to think of children as little sponges soaking up from the pool of what we expose them to. It's a big responsibility and a wonderful one. That's why I have chosen to write children's books for the very young; I want to do my best to add positive thoughts to the pool of life that they draw from.
My wish for all parents, myself included, is to enjoy watching little children play happily together, to learn from them and to reach out to the world with the same caring attitude that the children exhibit, knowing that they are watching and learning from the "pool of life" that we are creating...