No matter which holiday you celebrate, there is a certain magic that children bring with their exuberance and unquestioning belief. Today, guest writer Wendi Brandow shares her wish that children never lost that sense of innocence and wonder.

Dont ever change, dont ever change. I whispered these words to myself as I lay snuggled up to my husband, who in turn cocooned our soon-to-be, five-year-old son. We were laying beneath a pile of blankets on top of a mountain of pillows watching The Polar Express for the tenth time since Thanksgiving. Santa had just announced who would receive the first gift of Christmas and my son erupted in a burst of applause. His wonder had gotten the best of him. It was as if he had never seen it before and he was so excited he couldnt contain himself, as if he himself would be receiving the first gift of Christmas.

More and more lately, a part of me needs to believe he will always be that innocent and filled with delight. He seems so big lately. He has grown an inch-and-a-half in the two months since he started school. He has stopped hugging me as much and needs far fewer kisses. He has also started to be judged, and not always kindly, by the opinions of others.

Recently, on the playground of his new school, he tried to join in on the play of an obviously tight-knit group of boys. They were playing Power Rangers, a show that hasnt captured my sons imagination just yet. Most of the boys ignored him and went on with the important business of deciding what color Power Ranger they each would be. But one posed the all-important question to my son. He answered quite excitedly, The rainbow one! Apparently this was the wrong answer because the boys ran off, leaving my son alone on the climb-on school bus. I prepared for my heart to break as I watched his do the same. But he just shook it off and had fun playing on his own. It seems I neednt have worried, but I still do. I dont want even one instance like that, where he is judged by the opinions of others, to steal an ounce of his confidence or his joy.

Because no matter how big he seems to me, he is still wonderfully and joyfully a child. He plays with his food and giggles uncontrollably at body functions. He chases his little sister through the house with wild abandon until they both collapse in hysterics and hiccups. He embraces everything in nature and sees the wonder in all of it. He is wonderfully, exuberantly and LOUDLY a child.

And that is why that moment, laying on the floor with him was a mom’s small victory. In that spontaneous act, I saw that the magic was still alive in himthat wonder was still in his heart and that is the reason I offered up my prayer, Dont ever change. For I know he will grow older, but I pray he doesnt grow wise enough to let cynicism replace wonder in his heart. And that maybe, just maybe, when he watches The Polar Express with his kids, he may still erupt in a burst of applause.

Wendi Brandow is a freelance writer and blogger committed to helping other parents get more joy and be more successful at the hardest and most rewarding job ever. When she isn’t wrangling babies she is writing articles about nonprofit business management for Stevenson, Inc. She has also written for two national nonprofit children’s organizations. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and their children, ages 6 and 2. She can be reached at www.wendibrandowwrites.com.