So this past week Seth has taught me two important lessons I thought I'd share. The first happened after we got home from Christmas up North and he wanted to watch this Liken the Scriptures movie about the Nativity story. We had him watch it all throughout December to try to teach him about baby Jesus and the shepherds etc. Well he got to where he loved to sing and dance along with it. So it was no surprise that he wanted to watch it when we got home. But being that Christmas was over, I told him, "lets watch something else" its not Christmas anymore. He insisted on watching "the angels" and "shepherds" and the part where they sing "glory to god in the highest" (which of course Seth now sings along to). Anyways it got me thinking, just because we celebrate Christs birth in December, doesn't mean we have to ONLY celebrate it then. Seth was right, why shouldn't we continue to watch that movie throughout the year and to go even further, why shouldn't we remember what an incredible event that was all throughout the year? I came to the conclusion that I want Seth to remember stories like this all year long and you know what? Even if we're still singing Silent Night in July...I guess thats okay.
Lesson number two: Seth got a bike for Christmas and New Years Eve day was actually warm enough and the snow was melted enough for us to go outside and try it out. I was excited for him to ride it probably more than he was. But he was not riding it like I wanted him to. He'd get on for a second and then get off and pick up a rock, then eventually he'd get back on for 2 seconds and then get off and kick the snow. He was just so interested in everything outside. But of couse I kept urging him to get back on his bike. I found myself keep saying, "Lets ride your bike," or "come on lets go further"...but he wanted to take things at his own pace and look at every single interesting thing on the way. Its not that he didnt like his bike, cause once he was done exploring what was on the side of the road, he was excited to get back on his bike or put his treasure in the cubby under the seat. Anyways it got me thinking...why was I in such a hurry to get him to keep riding? Was there a dire destination that we needed to be to? If we hurried and got up the street and back, then what? Was I always in such a rush to do things when there was never really a need to be? So I stopped telling him to hurry up and get back on his bike. I just let him go at his own pace. Enstead of making it all the way around the block like I had wanted to, we made it like 2 houses down the road, but he loved just being outside. You know that saying, "stop and smell the roses?" Well I have a few new ones. Sometimes in life, we need to slow down and "stop to pick up that cool little rock" or "stop and splash in the gutter water" or "stop to touch the snowbank"....sometimes we just need to stop.
