This is an article I wrote a few years back after we had our first baby and were experiencing the joys of parenthood for the first time. I am reminded of these lessons again lately, as we are lucky to be going through these wonders again with our daughter, so I thought I would share this with you here, on our blog.
Children are amazing. Open, inquisitive, fascinating little sponges who are constantly absorbing their whole world and everyone around them. They live in each and every moment so presently, they express passionately, move on rapidly and forgive ever so quickly. All they want is love. All they need is love. And a little food and sleep.
We could take a leaf out of their book. Several in fact. It really is true what people say about your children teaching you things you need to know. My husband and I recently became parents and so I have been fortunate enough to become a student of our baby boy, Finn. I am such a novice and yet he is so patient with me. Every day he teaches me new things about love, joy, passion, perseverance, adversity and life itself.
The way Finn approaches life is inspiring. He lives in the moment. Most of the time he’s happy, but not just a normal-looking happy. The kind of happy where you can see the happiness in his whole body, especially his twinkling eyes. When he’s not happy, he expresses it too. Not for long – but just enough to communicate that something needs to change. Then he lets it go and is happy again. There’s no holding on. He is open with no pretenses. With this openness comes the ability to be very perceptive, knowing and true. What you see is what you get. The smallest things amuse him in the biggest way. Like watching the trees blowing in the wind, seeing a dog for the first time or feeling the rain on his face. I rejoice in these moments, not just because it is a beautiful thing to see him so full of joy, but also because when you watch him, the feeling becomes contagious. It’s impossible to feel anything but happy when you see the joy coming from every part of his body.
When he decides he wants something, he goes for it wholeheartedly. Nothing will get between him and his goal. Sometimes there are challenges, which bring him to a standstill. I see him stop and think about how to overcome them, watching him problem-solve his way around them. Sometimes he bumps his head or falls on his face and hurts himself, but then he regroups and moves on because he has a mission to complete. He usually always gets to his goal. Because of his perseverance and the belief that he can do it. And when he does, there is a mixture of satisfaction, joy and relief on his face. When he hears music, he starts to dance. It doesn’t matter where he is, it’s like his body can’t resist the chance to groove to the beat. He laughs without restraint. He investigates things with inquisitiveness and enthusiasm, even if it is just a shoe. And sometimes he’s just content to be. To sit and watch the world around him.
All of these qualities, I hope Finn keeps forever. These traits that I see in him, make me look at myself – his student – and remind me how I can do better. How each and every day I can find more beauty in the ordinary things in life, how I can let go of things faster, live more passionately, enjoy each moment for what it is and be more determined to achieve my goals. He is my Guru.
One of the magnificent things about children is that they have a unique and beautiful way of looking at the world. They see beauty in things often missed by adults and show a depth of understanding that is often well beyond their years. I love that quote by John Lennon where he says, ‘When I was five years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.’ What a brilliant incite to have at such a young age. I share John Lennon’s mother’s view that happiness is the key to life. It’s the most important thing. You can have a million things in this world, but if you don’t have happiness, then you have nothing.
By Rochelle Taylor
Rochelle is a mum of two little ones and has always been interested in finding ways to live a happy and healthy life while helping others. She has been meditating for 19 years, since she was introduced to the practice in school and found a passion for healing and energy medicine not long after that. Rochelle enjoys the challenges of life, motherhood, family, work, friends and somehow fitting them all in together. Work-wise Rochelle is an AcuEnergetics® Practitioner, Teacher and is also the General Manager of AcuEnergetics®. She has been practicing AcuEnergetics® since 2005 and is fully qualified to teach AcuEnergetics® Level 1 and AcuEnergetics® Level 2. She is currently a co-teacher for AcuEnergetics® Level 3 and the AcuEnergetics® Practitioner Training.