It's been so much fun watching my son learn new things. He's a year and half now, and he simply amazes me in his observations of life.
The other day, as we were driving down the road, he continuously pointed out the window and said "nana," his word for "banana." It was nighttime and I was pretty sure there weren't any banana trees here in chilly Virginia. I had no idea what he was talking about it. But adamantly, he would point outside and say, "nana" over and over again.
At home, when we got out of the car, he pointed upward and said the word again. This time, I looked where he pointed in the nighttime sky. Sure enough, I found what he was talking about. The moon appeared at just a sliver and the thin crescent looked like none other than a banana!
Things have been really busy in my life lately--too busy for my tastes. My son delights in the simple things of life--and his delight reminds me, pardon the cliche, to take time to smell the roses. Every time we go outside, he points up with excitement and says, "cloud" or "sky." Whenever the wind blows, he stops and lets it tangle through his curly hair. He squeals and claps whenever he sees the neighbor's cat (usually on top of my car, but that's another story). As he takes time to pause, I stop also.
And here's another cliche to end with: a little child shall lead them.
Yes, we can learn a lot from children.
________________________________________
Christy Barritt is the author of HAZARDOUS DUTY, a chick-lit mystery about a flip-flop wearing, music-quoting crime scene cleaner who sticks her nose into police investigations. Her next novel, SUSPICIOUS MINDS, will hit shelves this May. For more information, visit: www.christybarritt.com.
I remember the first time we went to our cabin when my daughter was old enough to walk and talk. Every single time she opened the door to go outside she would gasp and point at the lake. "Water!" she would exclaim in delight. How often do we take these amazing things for granted?
Posted by: Angela Meuser | February 18, 2008 at 02:00 PM