What We Learn from our Children (and Grandchildren)

My graduate assistant at Northern, Tara Beth, sketches what she’s learned from her two boys. Of her nine lessons, I’ll clip 2-4 — nice. Kris and I have been gone this week so our weekly meanderings will be separate posts. Enjoy.

2. Stop being such a know it all.  My boys love to ask questions and are very curious learners.  What’s that? How does it work? How do you put that together? Why? How come?   My favorite, most recent question that my three year old asked: “Mommy, why did Jesus give me nipples?”  But seriously, I love being around learners – I love being around lifelong learners.  Maybe it’s time to abandon the “I –have-so-much-knowledge- to-offer-the-world” mentality and become a learner.  Look around you, what can you learn from your neighbor?  A lot, I am sure.  You just have to listen.

3. Anytime there is music just dance.

Anytime there is a beat, my boys drop whatever they are doing to dance.  In church, in the store, in the car, in the shower, in bed, at the dinner table, anytime, anywhere, my boys cut a rug.  I must say, they aren’t bad at dancing either.  What amazes me the most is they don’t care where they are or who is watching.  They dance as if no one is watching and as if everyone is watching.  Just the other day, as I was watching my boys giggle and dance in the family room, I had an epiphany.  I take life way to seriously.  So I joined them, and I danced my heart out.  It was a blast.

4. Marvel at the mundane .Both of my boys love the moon.  Anytime we are outside after the sun sets, one of them will usually passionately point towards the sky and exclaim, “LOOK! It’s the moon! It’s the moon! Look! The moon! The moon!”  My husband and I will usually respond, “yes, that’s right buddy, the moon!” 

When did we stop looking for the moon?  At some point in our lives, things like the moon, the stars, the sun, the birds, and the flowers become <yawn> normal.  Been there.  Seen that.  It’s just the moon.

Um, hello, It’s the moon! You know, a giant glowing rock that orbits the earth every 27 days.