My two-year-old daughter is teaching me that small things matter most.
Children are so much better than adults at appreciating the simple pleasures of everyday life – things like bright yellow leaves, ants crawling on the sidewalk, the sound of thunder, an airplane in the sky – things we take for granted because we’ve experienced them hundreds of times before. Children marvel at the small things we adults walk past without even noticing.
Only a few days ago, I took my daughter to run errands at the mall.
And I dread running errands, especially at the mall.
When I do have to go to the mall, I like to make a short list of what I need, get in, and get out.
But that isn’t how it works with a toddler in tow.
So I entered the mall prepared with snacks and drinks and interesting toys to use as bait to lure my daughter back into her stroller when she tired of walking.
And then a surprising thing happened.
I didn’t need the stuff I brought along (well, except my credit card, of course). To my daughter, the mall was a fascinating world of amazing new discoveries around every corner. The mall was a playground full of small things I never noticed before I saw them through her young eyes…
Shoes! She pointed and squealed with joy - pretty flowers on fancy flip flops, shiny heels and flats – rows and rows of shoes at her eye level.
Fountain! She stood mesmerized by circles of spouting water that rose and fell in dancing patterns like a miniature version of the famous Bellagio fountains. I gave her pennies to throw in and make wishes.
Escalator! She threw a fit (in Nordstrom – oops!) because she wanted to ride on the escalator like Corduroy the overall-clad bear who went looking for his missing button.
Really? A tantrum over an escalator?
But those small mall things I always overlooked – shoe departments, fountains, and escalators – made the mall a place of wonder for my sweet daughter.
And the funny thing is that I truly enjoyed our trip to the mall that day because I wasn’t thinking about the errands I had to run or how to hurry through my list of things to do. I was thinking about the small things that made my daughter smile.
I’m learning from her that small things really do matter most.
Even at the mall.
I think I’ll look forward to our next trip there together.
Children are so much better than adults at appreciating the simple pleasures of everyday life – things like bright yellow leaves, ants crawling on the sidewalk, the sound of thunder, an airplane in the sky – things we take for granted because we’ve experienced them hundreds of times before. Children marvel at the small things we adults walk past without even noticing.
Only a few days ago, I took my daughter to run errands at the mall.
And I dread running errands, especially at the mall.
When I do have to go to the mall, I like to make a short list of what I need, get in, and get out.
But that isn’t how it works with a toddler in tow.
So I entered the mall prepared with snacks and drinks and interesting toys to use as bait to lure my daughter back into her stroller when she tired of walking.
And then a surprising thing happened.
I didn’t need the stuff I brought along (well, except my credit card, of course). To my daughter, the mall was a fascinating world of amazing new discoveries around every corner. The mall was a playground full of small things I never noticed before I saw them through her young eyes…
Shoes! She pointed and squealed with joy - pretty flowers on fancy flip flops, shiny heels and flats – rows and rows of shoes at her eye level.
Fountain! She stood mesmerized by circles of spouting water that rose and fell in dancing patterns like a miniature version of the famous Bellagio fountains. I gave her pennies to throw in and make wishes.
Escalator! She threw a fit (in Nordstrom – oops!) because she wanted to ride on the escalator like Corduroy the overall-clad bear who went looking for his missing button.
Really? A tantrum over an escalator?
But those small mall things I always overlooked – shoe departments, fountains, and escalators – made the mall a place of wonder for my sweet daughter.
And the funny thing is that I truly enjoyed our trip to the mall that day because I wasn’t thinking about the errands I had to run or how to hurry through my list of things to do. I was thinking about the small things that made my daughter smile.
I’m learning from her that small things really do matter most.
Even at the mall.
I think I’ll look forward to our next trip there together.
Posts
2 comments:
"Escalator! She threw a fit (in Nordstrom – oops!) because she wanted to ride on the escalator like Corduroy the overall-clad bear who went looking for his missing button."
Awwwww i loved that book! Taylor is such a smart little one. It's so precious to hear all about how you are learning from each other. ~CK
Thanks, Carissa! Her tantrum over the escalator really made me want to laugh, but I had to be serious. Thanks for reading my blog! :)
Post a Comment