The Treasure Hunt Experience

On a Spring Break daycare day, I was busy doing things appropriate to my title as Grown-Up-In-Charge. Some of them, I’m sure, were necessary and useful. Some of them were just an annoying compulsion caused by the chronic condition known as Adulthood—things like sweeping the entryway even though continual comings and goings ensure that the same task will need repeated again in ten minutes. In any case, I was definitely busy, when I was pressed into service by the Small People.

“Here. Just hold this and stand by the door,” the Leader panted breathlessly, pressing a piece of carefully folded paper into my hand as he slid out the door followed by the Big Kids, one, two, three.

Right behind them came the Littler Kids. One of them stopped directly in front of me, blinked up at me, big brown eyes behind round glasses, and said brightly “Hi!”

“Hi,” I answered uncertainly.

“Hi!” chimed the others, one, two.

I just stood there, blinking back down at them in confusion. “You’re supposed to give us the paper now.” This from Brown Eyes in a whisper. Apparently “Hi” was the password. He was convincing, so I handed it over.

Huddled together, the Littlers unfolded the message printed at a slant in green marker, “Turn on the fan,” read Smart Girl. A discussion followed in which they identified the ceiling fan as the only fan in the area, but were unable to figure out how to reach it in order to turn it on. I have a soft spot for the Littlers (and besides, by this point I was thoroughly curious) so I pointed out the switch on the wall. They bounced over, flipped on the switch and began to “Oooo, Aaaah” as another folded paper drifted down to their outstretched fingers.

Now, I do indeed suffer from Adulthood. But it seems floating folded paper has healthy benefits, because I forgot for a moment to worry about what potentially dangerous methods allowed the Big Kids to place the paper up on the ceiling fan. “Cool!” I said, in enchanted agreement with the Littlers. For just a moment, by virtue of my knowledge about the working of ceiling fans, I was a member of the team. But then they were gone, following the written message out to “where the wagons are parked,” leaving me alone with my broom.

Alone, but smiling. All afternoon they darted around me in a delighted and determined search for The Treasure, taking turns being the team to devise difficult hiding spots and devious messages. Each time the treasure was found, there was much exclaiming over the clever clues, and noisy congratulations to those who cracked the case. And then the re-hiding began.

I put aside the broom to watch, finding myself slightly in awe of these lively creatures in my care. It wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last, which is why my job is a blessing. How many of us afflicted by chronic Adulthood have the pureness of mind to put out such effort and actually enjoy it? Instead, we over-think it. Why do I need to do this? Does it take too long? Is the end result worth the effort? Is it cost effective? Should I be doing something more important? If so, then what??

At the end of the day, in the quiet entryway with my broom back in my hand, I asked myself, as the Grown-Up-In-Charge, did I do the right thing letting them run around like that all afternoon? Could I have involved them in some “learning activities,” or pulled off a “refrigerator art” project? As I pondered, it occurred to me that I never found out what The Treasure actually was. And there was my answer! They weren’t running around all afternoon on a pointless treasure hunt; They were thinking, laughing, writing, running, cooperating. Experiencing. The treasure didn’t matter at all, it was the joy of the search that inspired them. The Small People do indeed set an example to aspire to. The next time I am faced with a questionable task, or an uncertain opportunity, rather than over-think it, I believe I’ll just do it. If it’s approached with joy, treasure will lie in the Experience.