These Few Things I've Learned from Superman. (reprinted: January 2013)

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”  ~ Roald Dahl

Just recently, I was all “wired up” with yet another brand-new, and quite very fancy sort of heart monitoring device—a motley array of wires sticking out here and then there, with flashes and beeps to let me know all is okay.

And, as I settled into this most uncozy of waiting room chairs—just right then, the littlest boy with the widest of eyes and donning a Superman cape, timidly approached to ask,

“Are you a robot?”

And, with not even a hint of hesitation, I leaned forward and whispered, “Yes…and I see by the looks of things, that you sir, are Superman.”

And, then I winked and I hushed him quiet again, as if to indicate our mutual vow in secret identity was most certainly and forever safe with me.

His jaw dropped—eyes wild with the delight of this most magnificent discovery. And grinning with the confidence of always having known, he whispered back to me, “I just knew you were out there, somewhere.”

And then he retreated safely off onto his mother’s lap—with just an occasional quick peek back. After all, it isn’t just everyday that we may finally see what we always knew to be real, but till now had no proof to be there.

And in that quickest of peeks, I was reminded of a most precious lesson—that is, it’s okay to believe in those things we can’t always see… just so long as we always believe that even our biggest dreams are out there… somewhere.

For me, I know that someday I shall be free of all of these wires so that I may greet life fully and head on once again—and all I must do is believe.

So, I guess you might just say this, that it’s because of my heart—that I am able to see a little more clearly, again. Ah, the things we might learn from these, our littlest of planet dwellers—when it is that we are finally able to open our hearts and listen.

And that is the true magic of ‘believe.’

So, what advice might I give to all wondering minds, and with respect to this one simple thing? Well, it’s not much… a short list, but I think it’s all there, these few things I have learned from Superman.

1. Don’t wait for the miracle to know that it’s there.

2. Never regret anything that makes you smile.

3. Capes don’t make you fly, belief does.

And so it is, that we might just forget—that the very best view of this world, is that which is often seen through the eyes of a child…or in this case, the littlest Superman.