Lucy is mobile. She rolls, scoots, crawls, and pulls herself up on things. I’m considering taping my eyelids open because I know that if I blink, she’ll suddenly be walking, running, and asking for the car keys.
I’m certain the little jet setter has cried more times in the last four weeks than she did in her first seven months of life — and 95% of it is all her own doing. (I’ll chalk the remaining 5% up to her footie pajamas that make the kitchen floors more slippery and treacherous.) Curiosity is what drives her. She’s always looking around, exploring, and discovering new things. In her quest to inspect every square millimeter of our home, she regularly bonks her head or falls down. There’s almost a rhythm to it: first you hear a thud, a short beat of silence, and then the high-pitched screams of death that last about three-and-a-half minutes.
Shy of getting her a custom-fitted foam suit and wrapping our furniture in bubble wrap, there’s not much we can do.
What’s fascinating to me is that the bumps and bruises don’t deter her from her explorations. She doesn’t shy back from discovering something new just because she’s taken a few falls. After recollecting herself — and getting a few healing kisses from Mom or Dad — she’s back on a mission to move forward.
It’s an interesting contrast to us adults. When we experience a few setbacks, we’re ready to pack it in. We allow the journey to beat us.
Even worse, many of us won’t even start out, for fear that danger will greet us and we might fail. Or look stupid. Or both.
So we sit on the sidelines with our safety as certain as the fact that life is passing us by.
For Lucy, the desire to see new things and make new strides is so powerful, a few knocks on the head will not keep her down.
What if you could become that bold again? What would you experience? What could you accomplish?
you know what’s funny, I was just pondering this very predicament TODAY. concerning me. and everything I have been wanting to do for some time now. I am 24 an terrified of failure. so much so that I have tons of piles of projects, the beginnings of things that have not been tried very long for the perfectionist in me sees every possible speed bump ahead.
LAME! I know!
If I were to be so BOLD I would without a second thought be on my way to: being a singer/song writer with my own shows and albums, selling my handmade cards with my own photos on them, a photographer that empowers women with low self-esteem to learn to love themselves in front of a camera, a traveling journalist for MY OWN newspaper called GOOD NEWS! and a Spanish teacher who takes kids to Africa in the summer to bond with and help homeless kids there while using the Swahili I have learned.
Ya know, just to name a few things…
:)
Crazy I know!
But let’s face it. Lucy’s goals aren’t nearly so BOLD.
If there is any reasonable answer for not trying.
(No offense luce)
Lucy’s goals may not seem so bold…to US. But they’re pretty big milestones in her life.
Your goals are very awesome and downright inspiring. My question to you is, what’s the worst that could happen if you tried and failed? It sounds like there’s a whole lot to lose and a whole lot of people who’ll miss out if you don’t even try.
Another thing I love about little kids is related to how you said her death scream lasts about 3 1/2 minutes. Kids tend to let go of pain and anger within seconds. Sadly, I’ve noticed the tendency to harp on pain and hold grudges for years tends to develop early on, and even older kids sometimes have that adultitic tendency. I think we need to learn from the little kids and forgive and forget as quickly as we get hurt and angry.
So easy for little kids, but quite a tall order for us older folks…
(and by older, I mean older than about 5)
You’re definitely right about how quickly it all goes. I still can’t believe how fast my two little munchkins are growing.
When you see how uninhibited children are, it causes you to realize how much we as adults limit ourselves. To a child, there are are no limits. Everything is possible, even flying (which they do attempt, so brace yourself when Lucy decides to take off).
I don’t wan to be the one to tell her she can’t fly. Maybe she’ll be the first one to figure it out.
Or maybe I’ve been watching too much “Heroes.”
Jason:
I enjoyed reading about Lucy’s adventures…its amazing that there’s just as much for us to learn from watching babys/kids as it is for them to watch us. About a month ago, my friend’s almost three year old daughter got past all of the security things that you put on doorknobs so they can’t open the doors. She made an escape that Houdini would be jealous of. Needless to say, my friend freaked out. I guess if a child really wants something and is curious enough, he/she could do just about anything.
Yes, sometimes I think she’d be able to escape from Alcatraz…
(a) the longer the gap between the ‘thud’ and the ‘whaaaa’, the more damage has been done – and if there’s a loud ‘thud’ without a ‘whaaaa’, get there fast!
(b) playpens are good, or child-safe rooms with a door barrier – just for a few months – it’s not “caging” them, it’s letting them learn motor skills without risking brain damage, electrocution, drowning or putting an eye out (and so people in the supermarket don’t stare at the kid’s bruises and think bad things about you)
Good points! Our playpen has been a life-saver at times!