Lessons from a 3 Year Old

Lessons from a 3 Year Old

Life can be scary. Sometimes, just like Kinley, I want to stand on the sidelines, my arms crossed across my body, to protect myself from the unknown. I want to guard myself against the things I don't understand and changes that come despite my inner need for consistency and routine. I like my comfortable little world with its handy to-do list.

Other people seem to glibly run through their own version of a three-ring circus (or four-ring, as the case may be).

It may look like fun, but who knows what scary encounters may be lurking in the mist of the unknown?

It's tempting to reach in and test the water first. (And, sometimes, that's the smartest course of action, too.)

But jumping in with both feet usually has its own rewards.

Sometimes, you're all ready to go. You've planned. You've prepared. You have your helmet in place, just in case.

There are reliable people along your path, just waiting to point the way.

You have good friends with whom to travel.

But you still have to steer to stay on course. (That can sometimes be a problem if you're not looking in the right direction.)

And the unexpected can happen. A pedal falls off your well-oiled plans, and the tools aren't immediately there to fix the problem. 

Thankfully, there are people there to help pick up the load and help out. (Thanks, Grandpa!)

Let's face it: Life can be loud and confusing - like rapid, booming, can't-catch-your-breath between fireworks. On July 3rd, as a quiet suburb sounded more like a shooting range, Kinley covered her own ears, nestled in protective laps and had Mommy or Grandma cover her ears for even more insulation from the cacophony of sound.

But after a prelude of sparklers on July 4th, she joined the rest of us, oohing and ahhing, as the sky lit up with streaking color ... and considerable noise!

"Oh, it's so beautiful," became the evening's go-to phrase.

 

It was a dramatic change of view. Sometimes, you have to embrace your fears with both hands. Sometimes, it just takes a change of attitude. 

Her 10-month-old sister is teaching me things, too. Sometimes, you just have to let go. If you fall, you get back up and try again.

Blurry photo, but it shows she's trying to walk!

Often, there are helping hands just out of view that help us from plunging off into the abyss.

And, it's good there are people around to help give us a push from time to time, too.

Lessons from the Playground

Why walk when you can run? It seems to be our granddaughter, Kinley's, new philosophy on life. At nearly 16 months old, she meets life head-on and full speed ahead.

So far, she isn't telling us, "I do it." I'm sure that day is coming as the calendar pages turn and we move closer to her 2nd birthday. Her need for speed is not without casualties. Her poor nose got the brunt of a fall, and she was sporting quite a lovely scrape when we visited a couple weeks ago.

As we went to a couple of different parks during our visit, I kept thinking about how it was a metaphor for life. 

One slide was just the right size, Kinley could climb up the steps herself, and, with a steadying hand from Mommy for the first couple of trips down the yellow ribbon of plastic, she could pretty much do it herself.

Later in the day, Randy & I took Kinley to a park just a few blocks away from their house.  At that play apparatus, there were slides for toddlers and ones for a little bit bigger kids.

It was kind of like the Goldilocks story. The little one was just right. (photo below, upper left). Just like at the first slide, she could maneuver the steps with just a little help. However, we misjudged the middle-sized one, and Grandma should have been more worried about catching Kinley at the bottom than taking a photo (upper right hand side photo.) But, with a quick hug and a dust off, Kinley was ready for more.

For the biggest slide, Kinley needed a partner, and Grandpa was a willing volunteer. Sometimes in life, we need a little help (or a lot of help). We need that person pulling our wagon or guiding us over the bumps and turns of a situation that's bigger than we are.

We need someone to steady us. Or push us. Or pull us. Or just be happy to be with us.

We need people to help us dream dreams that are bigger and more numerous than bubbles on a springtime day. And when the bubbles and dreams disappear in a flash, they'll be there to help us conjure up some more, gently pushing us along just like a steady breath behind a bubble ring.

I'm thankful for the people in my life who are those kinds of helpers - family and friends who come together in the little ways - and when I need a whole lot of help. I am blessed!

So encourage each other and build each other up,

just as you are already doing. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11