The Art of Perception

A friend of mine just posted a picture of the sunrise this morning. I don't think she is in the habit of waking up in the wee hours, just to sit and watch the sun come up. She was awoken by her 14 month old son. Most often we curse our little tykes for this kind of behavior. Everyday we hope they will sleep in past 8am. But she would not have had the opportunity to witness this extra-beautiful morning without him. For all the little "inconveniences" babies and children provide, they also inspire, and add to our lives.

As adults, we get so easily caught up in "to-do" lists. We stick to schedules. We have to work. Clean. Provide. But having 2 little boys, I am forced to appreciate the small things in life again. I get to walk through a simple pumpkin patch, and pick out my very own melon off the vine. I get to watch my 3 year-old searching for the perfect pumpkin to take home (which ended up being not so perfect, kind of soft on one side, so we got it for free. The squirrels have been helping themselves lately, so maybe it is for the best.) There were no slides, rides or games. We simply explored a large field of vines. We got cockle burrs all over our pants. Some of us panicked about this. Some of us simply picked them off then tried to eat them. We were in no rush. I get take a walk in the rain and remember how much fun it was to run in the little river of water running down the curb. I notice airplanes and trains and trucks and "the po-po". I get to share in the excitement of seeing the moon and stars every night, or marvel at the sun behind the clouds. I get to sit on my porch just a little bit too long while watching the lightening and get soaked by the sudden downpour. I get to read my childhood favorite, "Are You My Mother?" over and over and over again.

I never get sick of watching these two little boys grow. And my heart swells. And my already out of control pride increases. And though I get exhausted, and tested, and over-worked, I just can't get enough of life. Just look at that smile. And I think you will get what I mean.