Having a child is the most challenging yet rewarding experience one could ever have. My four year old son teaches me things every day and he doesn't even realize it. He teaches me to stop and recognize the little things in life and teaches me that it's the simple things that truly matter.
For instance, the other day we pulled into a parking space at Publix and he noticed that someone had littered and left their empty drink cup on the ground. He exclaimed with energy and urgency, "mommy, they disobeyed god!", as he pointed to the cup on the ground. I exclaimed to him, holding back the laughter, that not everyone follows the rules and that's unfortunate. I thought the discussion would be done at this point and was ready to go about our day until he said, "you know mommy, we could pick it up".
Now, the thought had occurred to me that we could pick it up and walk across the parking lot to put it in the trash but I was too preoccupied with what was next in my schedule to even think of actually doing that. But, there was no way I could tell him no because not only would I crush his idea but I'd be a horrible example. So we got out of the car, picked it up, and walked to the trash can. He was so proud of himself and we celebrated with hugs and high fives as I told him he was a good Samaritan!
It is the pure goodness and and enthusiasm in children that we should all learn from and apply to our everyday lives. My son reminds me daily what is important and what truly matters. I hope others can see this priceless gift that children posess. This ability to look at everything with an open heart and open mind. Makes me wonder at what age does a child's clean slate get exposed to the harsh realities of the world and what can we as parents do to cherish their spirit??
Friday, July 31, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
