The kids I babysit provide me with hours of entertainment as well as valuable and simple insight into life. Kids definitely grow, and they help me grow, too.
My favorite recent observation about them is that NONE OF THEM LIKE TO GO TO BED. They can't wait to get up in the morning, and they never want to go to sleep at night.
I often do not want to get out of bed in the morning. When I finally get back in bed at night, I feel relief. But I also feel the impending doom of morning-- like that painting by Dali, Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening, where the woman is peacefully sleeping, but there is a tiger about to jump on her. Unlike the woman in the painting, I feel I am always aware of that tiger even in my sleep.
But the children give me hope that I wasn't always this way, and that somehow I can return to the happy place of loving life so much (despite all the challenges) that I spring out of bed in the morning. One might argue that these kids' lives are just a lot easier and that's why they have boundless energy. But we must remember that while their problems seem smaller, kids are also a lot smaller than we are. So things are just as scary, or maybe even worse.
I wrote this quote by my bed, "Reduce your wants and lead a happy and contented life. Never hurt the feelings of others and be kind to all. Think of God as soon as you get up and when you go to bed." ~ Dharma Mittra
In other news, Hammond just turned 3 this 4th of July! He loves trains-- like seriously loves trains. We were putting this puzzle together which is like an interlocking alphabet train puzzle, and we got to "T".
I said, "What does "T" stand for?"
He looked down at the puzzle-piece and said, "Tiger," because there is a tiger on that piece.
Then I said, "Do you know what else it stands for?! Your *favorite* thing!"
I waited for him to look at me and say, "TRAIN!" But instead, he thought for a minute with a "puzzled" look on his face and quietly asked, "Jelly beans?"
