Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

This poem was written by Robert Frost, it is one of my favorites. I think that this poem symbolizes the innocence that a child possesses until they are exposed to the world’s raw truths and they change. Holding onto that innocence and purity is very hard, even impossible. At some point, everyone loses their innocence.

Personally I believe that the only people in the world that never lose their innocence are those who are challenged in some way mentally or physically. I recently had an encounter with one of my friend’s younger brothers who are both autistic.

The way that they spoke and acted just took my breath away. There was a certain light in their eyes that sunk straight to my heart when I looked at them, it was almost as if I had been touched by some higher power. I could tell that they weren’t on the same level as the rest of the world, it was almost as if they were in an alternate reality, but I was taken with this beautiful experience.

The power of their imaginations and their innocence really moved me in a way that I have trouble putting words to. This type of innocence and purity is a rare and beautiful thing that should be appreciated rather than looked down upon because i’m sure if anyone was given the opportunity to go back and experience that untouched and uninfluenced perspective they would take it in a heartbeat.