Some days I wish I could see the world through the eyes of a 2-year-old.

This is not so I can laugh hysterically, 30 seconds after a crying tantrum that involved unrolling my lower lip to the floor. It might be nice to turn a bad mood around with that kind of speed, but what I’m interested in is seeing everything as new again.

The picture accompanying this post is a recent reaction to a Jack-in-the-box. To be honest, I’m not sure the last time I reacted to anything with the look this picture captures. There are a lot of things he got from me. That expression isn’t one of them.

As the weather has warmed, I routinely take Jamie on walks around our neighborhood. We are located a few miles from a small airport, about a half-mile from train tracks, and have an on-ramp behind our home. (If the future owner of our house happens to be reading this post, none of this is as bad as it seems.)

One day a small plane was coming in for a landing as we walked. Jamie pointed, grinning, and saying “Whoa!” as it lowered in the sky. There’s a plane museum at the airport that I plan on taking him to soon, so that he can get up close and personal with these giant machines.

After a full day of work and home stress, it is difficult to hang on to this sense of curiosity about the world. It is difficult to not look up at the sky and think “It’s a freakin’ airplane,” as he marvels at the approach.

If there is a lesson here it is to stop worrying about everything long enough to see what is right in front of you. There is a time for paying bills and a time to enjoy your surroundings. The ability to quickly compartmentalize and appreciate our surroundings is diminished in adulthood.

Kids don’t have to worry about bosses, bills or any other anxieties beat into the heads of adults. They are great at vocalizing their curiosity by questioning everything. The world needs people who can hang on to this skill.

Like creativity, curiosity can be easily lost as our priorities begin to shift in adulthood. People who can appreciate their surroundings and live in the moment are generally happier.

I’m lucky enough to see that boy wonder in action every day. It serves as a reminder to recapture some for myself.