Monday, September 6, 2010

Toddler Teaches...

Meet Logan: My teacher.  

She can jump up on the 4 foot wall, not want my assistance, and run at full blast. When I ask her to take my hand, she gets upset and pushes it away. I swear I read her mind: "I can freakin' do it by myself. I'm not going to fall. Go relax on the bench over there and watch me, dada!"

How can she jump off that same 4 foot wall onto a sidewalk of hard concrete, fall on her knees, hands, and face... cry a little, literally brush her hands off, and want back on the wall? How is this possible? Doesn't she understand what just happened, and if she repeats this behavior, she'll most likely fall again? Or will she?

When she falls for the 2nd straight time, how can it even enter her mind to climb back up that wall? It did, as if nothing had happened... no blood had been shed, and no skin scraped. This time, the result was different - very different. Success shined through her dark brown eyes, her huge smile stretched from cheek to cheek, and her two little hands clapped louder than ever. Did she know something I didn't? 

This gorgeous girl is my teacher. She'll show me how to keep climbing, even though all the evidence leads me to believe nothing good will come from the climb. She'll continue pushing my hands away when I need safety. She's here to prove that my past failures have nothing to do with my future successes. She, with her blind faith, will show me how to step on scared paths. Sometimes I'll trip, fall, cut my lip, and bruise my forehead... do I dare start over and risk the same injuries?

She would!


4 comments:

Karen du Toit said...

Great post! Also a great way to look at how our toddlers learn!

Olivia said...

Wow, thank you. Really need to read/hear that.

Sarah said...

We can all learn something from Logan. She has her dada's spirit!

Retta said...

Oh, this got me! What a doll... and to have her spirit and willingness to keep at it. Loved this.
Loretta
=^..^=