A funny thing happened....

The alarm rang early.  It was a busy morning and a fun day was planned.  I heard my daughter’s alarm ring shortly after mine, and knew she was as excited about our plans for the day as I was.  With my dog at my feet, I went downstairs to be sure my Mom was awake. Today, the three of us were heading to my niece’s house to take care of her beautiful daughter while she returned to her first day back at school.  This was an important day for my niece as it was her first day with her new students for this school year.

The rain was beating against the windshield of my daughter’s car as she navigated the streets for our 35-minute drive.  Naturally, there was roadwork, so after a detour and a few flagmen, we arrived at our destination.  My brother was there for the early shift since he lives 10 minutes away and he had put my great-niece, his granddaughter, down for her morning nap.  He had just brewed a delicious pot of coffee that we enjoyed together while we chatted about his upcoming wedding (this weekend!).

We watched on the monitor, as my great-niece started really moving around.  She is so good-natured!  She didn’t cry, but gradually sat up and started “da da da’ing”.  We listened and smiled.  Really, is there anything better than hearing a 1 year old quietly talking to her familiar friends that reside with her in her room?

After a few minutes, my daughter and my brother couldn’t wait anymore, it was time for hugs.  They went up to her room and we watched them on the monitor as they gathered the baby up in their arms.  She was all smiles; (as were the two of them)!

Delicious is a perfect word for this baby.  Every smile, every expression, every step, you just want to hug her in your arms and eat her up.  But, instead of constantly kissing her, we walked with her as she toddled about, pushing one toy, stepping over another.  She would point to something she wanted, make a face and wave her arms if we chose the wrong thing.  We warmed her lunch with care.  She welcomed each bite, until she was full.  Then, she let us know she was full and didn’t want anymore.  She would point to her “sippy” cup and we knew she wanted her milk.  When she wanted out of the high chair, she squirmed a bit and when she wanted to hear another verse of the “Inky, Dinky Spider” she moved her hands as if to say, repeat please!  It’s amazing how a little person who doesn’t speak the language, expresses her opinions, her feelings and her thoughts and it is equally amazing how easy it is to pick up on her brilliant cues!

As adults, are we that different?  Do we take learning to quiet our wishes and hide our thoughts so seriously that we force the anxiety we then try to calm?  Isn’t it amazing how transparent we start out?  Now, of course, there were things my great-niece wanted that she couldn’t have, my daughter’s blackberry for one.  But, with little effort, since we knew what she wanted, we could divert her attention and get her excited about something else.  Her joy never left. 

Now, I realize it’s not possible to have people circling you all day responding to your every wish and desire, but, perhaps if they were informed of what the desires were they could either help fulfill them or lead us to something similar and maybe even better! Are we so used to quieting our wishes that we no longer even know what we want?  By hiding what would make us happy all the time, are we grown-up or are we just burying our desires until they turn into an ulcer, or worse?

Perhaps I learned more today from my one year old great niece than she learned from me.  After all, all I taught her were the hand movements to the Inky Dinky Spider, she taught me that perhaps the best way for me to realize my dream is to first know what it is and then express it others.