--- title: As a Little Child description: Kathy Perusek discovered how becoming childlike helps her to navigate life with peace and joy. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20210208%20KPerusek.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/as-a-little-child#) [FAITH](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/faith) # As a Little Child Feb 8, 2021 7:00:00 AM  |  by [Kathy Perusek](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/kathy-perusek) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20210208%20KPerusek.png) *Kathy Perusek discovered how becoming childlike helps her to navigate life with peace and joy.* I once heard an author discuss her theory that you can tell what you’re your life’s passion is by thinking of the ways you liked to play most as a child. I have found this to be true for both myself and my children. Enjoying all my baby dolls, I wanted to be a mommy and have lots of children. I also wanted to be a nurse, and I look back and remember playing *Emergency 911* with my cousins, as well as office and teacher with my sister. I did grow up to marry and have eight children, one in heaven, miscarried before birth. I also became a nurse, an occupation which includes office work and teaching. The older I get, the more I reflect upon my childhood, and its many happy memories. I have found lately, that drawing from the well of these memories helps me enjoy my everyday errands and my work. I have chosen to have a positive attitude, and I have discovered a secret to contentment and joy. Whenever I am weary, or facing challenges, I purposefully remember playing pretend activities as a little girl! Although I love being a nurse, there were many times it was hard for me to leave my family behind and drive 40 minutes to my night shift, 12-hour job at the hospice house. As I drove, I remembered when I was 4 years old, playing driving at nursery school. My teacher had a life-sized traffic light, which I thought was so cool! I remembered my passion I had in the summer at my cousins’ house playing *Emergency 911,* tending to all the needs of my patients. I would arrive at work, dive right into passing medications, then start my computer charting. This could be tedious until I reminded myself of the fun I used to have at my grandma’s, where my sister and I would play office. I would pretend to be so knowledgeable and efficient; now I got to do this at work. How blessed I was! Throughout the night, I would meet, talk with, or take phone calls from my patients’ family members, and spend much of that time teaching them about diseases, medications, and signs of end of life. I remembered the joy I had lining up my stuffed animals and my little sister, playing teacher, so long ago. I do the same at my current job as a pediatric nurse in a doctor’s office, educating parents and doing some office work too! Even errands can be fun when I remember how I loved to pretend I was grocery shopping as a little girl, able to pick out whatever I wanted. I also remember the fun of riding in the cart at the store with my daddy. And cooking dinner, which can be tedious after all these years, becomes a pleasure, as I recall the fully stocked wooden play kitchen in my neighbor’s playhouse, where I’d whip up imaginary meals. ![20210208 KPerusek 2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20210208%20KPerusek%202.png?width=1080&name=20210208%20KPerusek%202.png) When I am able to relax, what I most enjoy now, after time spent with family, is going out for coffee with my friends, as I played at my tea parties so long ago. When the weather is nice, I try to pay more attention to the outside world, enjoying a trip to the park or a campfire in my own back yard. I smile as I remember the delight I felt when each of my children brought me a precious hand-picked dandelion or fragile morning glory. I take time to look up to the clouds and notice the various shapes, just as I used to do with my mommy, when we had our backyard picnics.   > [CLICK TO TWEET > Children take pleasure in little things and live in the moment. They are close to Jesus’ heart. This is where I always want to be #catholicmom](https://ctt.ac/HWAiu) Besides the benefit of a positive attitude, I am grateful for the opportunity to do many of the things I dreamed of as a little girl. It is good to remember my childhood because Jesus calls me to be childlike: > "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3    Children are simple, trusting, thankful, content, take pleasure in little things, and live in the moment. They are close to Jesus’ heart. This is where I always want to be.  #### What childhood passion do you still enjoy today? --- Copyright 2021 Kathy Perusek Image: Canva Pro ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fas-a-little-child%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fas-a-little-child%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fas-a-little-child%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=As%20a%20Little%20Child) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fas-a-little-child%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fas-a-little-child%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Kathy Perusek](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/KATHY%20PERUSEK%20.jpeg) ### [Kathy Perusek](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/kathy-perusek) Kathy Perusek is a mother of seven children, and a grandmother. She was a stay-at-home mom until her oldest child graduated college. Kathy then returned to school, earning associate degrees in nursing and arts. She worked as an RN in a hospital, then for hospice; currently, she works in a pediatric practice. She is a former La Leche League leader and enjoys reading, singing, and babysitting. ## Related Blog Articles [ Mom’s Priority Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/moms-priority) [ Honoring Dad Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/honoring-dad) [ Finding Peace in Trying Times Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/finding-peace-in-trying-times) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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