A Change of Perspective
Do you miss your children being the age of a toddler?
Have you ever wondered if toddlers are wiser than we are?
Hello and happy Tuesday. Can you believe it has been another week? Wow, sometimes I just want to stop time for a moment. I guess that’s how life with a toddler is. Can any of you moms and dads relate? Or really if you know and love a toddler, no matter the relation you can probably relate. 🙂
The most common thing people say to me when they meet my little lady is how much they miss their once babies, now grown up, being her age. They tell me to enjoy every moment and they would give anything to go back and relive these days.
I Follow Their Advice
I respond by following their advice. I try to stop, sit down, and play whatever she is playing. We blow bubbles, stack blocks, and color on a daily basis.
The other day, my husband and I took our little lady on a walk. We didn’t mean to. We were playing in the backyard, when she decided that she wanted to go on a walk. So we let her lead the way. It wasn’t long before she found the dandelions.
A Beautiful Weed
She knelt down and stared at this little weed that is growing everywhere in our apartment complex. I quickly walked up and showed her how you can pick them and create a bouquet of, well, weeds. She smiled with delight! Since then, she has been picking dandelions every time we go outside to play.
After she picks a few, she’ll walk up to me, put them in my hand, take them out of my hand, and then put them back in. She absolutely adores these weeds. To her they are not weeds but beautiful flowers that were put on this earth just for her to pick and delight in.
Yesterday, we walked past a huge field of her favorite flowers. It made me think, how wise this little 16 month old is.
There are always going to be weeds in life, in blogging, at home, at work, in our community….etc. always.
But for today, I want to challenge us to change our perspective. Let’s follow the lead of a toddler and look at those weeds with a new perspective. Let’s find the beauty in the weeds.
A Few Examples
A weed in life might be a difficult client. Or, this weed happened to me yesterday – I had my coffee and I was all set to get a lot of writing done. I was so motivated when my Internet connection decided not to work. Another example is trying to find the solution to a problem you’re having. Really a weed is something that causes you discomfort, whatever it is.
I pulled this quote from Eckhart Tolle and since we are trying to follow the lead of a 16-month-old lady, I thought it was perfect.
What a caterpillar calls the end of the world we call a butterfly.”
Have a wonderful week everyone!
What a beautiful article Christine! Weeds ARE everywhere and we should also enjoy the weed free moments as they aren’t many. Thank you for this reminder that we all need especially during these challenging times we’re living today.
Veronica,
You are so welcome! You make a wonderful point about enjoying the weed-free moments! I think it is hard to allow ourselves to really stop, enjoy, and be present in those weed-free moments but how wonderful when we can. Thank you so much for sharing.
Oh, such a beautiful article, Christine. I love this: “To her they are not weeds but beautiful flowers that were put on this earth just for her to pick and delight in.” How delightful! Thank you for sharing and making my heart smile.
Alexandra,
I am so glad the article could make your heart smile! Toddlerhood is so much fun. Thanks for sharing.
awww, toddlers are fun, and we should just be toddlers ourselves at time.
Marilyn,
I agree or at least spend some time with a toddler. Thank you for sharing.
Who’s to say which are the flowers and which are the weeds? 🙂 Toddlerhood really is a magical time. I love the way you’re clearly enjoying it. Happy Mother’s Day to you!
Really nice post, I have always said that toddlers make the best critical thinkers because their brains have yet to be cluttered with the real world
Tom,
Thank you so much for sharing. It is so fun to watch her mind work.
Christine, you painted a beautiful picture of your child’s world and how to find beauty in the weeds of life. Thanks for sharing.
Meryl,
Thank you so much! This was a really fun article to write.
What a beautiful reminder that the perspective of little children is really THE perspective. They see the world with such joy and gratitude. Thanks for the reminder that we can appreciate the weeds as well!
Martha,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. Thank you for the comment.
Christine, what you’re talking about cherishing and enjoying is that wonderful little free spirit that still has the gift of living in the moment. How good it is to let them take us back to doing the same … with such abandon! 😉
Sharon,
You are so right, she does bring me right into the present moment with no worries about the future or thoughts of the past. I love it. Thanks for sharing.
What a meaningful story, Christine! You always have a beautiful way of relating your life to your blog posts. Children have the amazing ability not to be jaded – we should learn more from them!
Brooke,
Thank you so much – I am loving being a little bit more personal in my articles. You put it so well “the amazing ability not to be jaded”. That’s it, isn’t it. Thank you for sharing.
I love how toddlers can still find such beauty in the world that we adults simply bypass. I love the story about the weed:)
Daniele,
You are so right, we (adults) often are too busy or preoccupied with our stuff to take notice of all the beauty around us. Thank you so much for sharing!
Christine, this is a very beautiful loving article. We learn volumes from our children of the world. They are us!
Barbara,
Thank you so much. I loved writing this article. I feel like having a toddler is like experiencing the world all over again but through their eyes. Thank you for commenting.
Thanks so much for sharing such a beautiful article – it made my heart sing! The wisdom of looking through your toddler’s eyes is very powerful!
Moira,
I am so glad you enjoyed this article Moira. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story about your toddler and the flowers in her life. That is what it takes to see the beauty in the weeds that distract us. Perhaps it is God redirecting our path. I am a grandma now and have always treasured the many bouquets of flowers my grandchildren have picked for me. Sometimes the stems are too short to fit in a vase so we have to float them in a bowl of water. Precious memories.
Pat,
Those are such sweet memories, thank you so much for sharing.
Toddlerhood is a magical time and yes… I do sometimes miss the patter of little feet. But then there are other blessings in having grown children, like my son driving over 50 miles to come have lunch with me. That was a great date… Great article. Thanks!
Norma,
So, you’re saying it’s all up hill from here? 🙂 It sounds like you have an amazing son on your hands. Thanks for sharing.
Perspective is everything. If you have a positive one you will be positive and if you have a negative one then negativity will surround you. You are either a victim or a fighter.
Sebastian,
Wise words. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
You’re so right. I took my friend’s children to the beach. They were excited by common sights like squirrels, birds, and flowers. Big reminder to slow down and enjoy.
Catherine,
Thank you so much for sharing.
Love that quote “What a caterpillar calls the end of the world we call a butterfly.” It’s a good reminder to stop and smell the roses (er weeds) too!
Carrie,
I agree. Thanks for commenting.
A short but inspiring message. People forget that they were once toddlers worry free of the world. This article is a reminder to appreciate the little things. Thank you for the inspiration.
Lorii,
I’m so glad you found the article inspirational. Thank you for commenting.