~:[CH8 - Day 104]:~ A Lot to Learn

~:[CH8 - Day 104]:~ A Lot to Learn

There are always life lessons. We learn when we are babies, when we are in school, when we start working and even when we are elderly. Life is a non-stop process of learning. As we celebrated the first birthday of Jordan, however, I thought about what I would most want him to learn. In my first year with him, I learned how to better carry a child, how to liven him up, and how he reacts at different times of the day. You see what his favorite toys are and what he likes to do. As he stared as his smash cake, unable to smash it, I thought of something that I hope he can learn. I hope that he can learn to be himself. When everyone is telling him to smash the cake, I want him to be able to decide for himself whether to do so or not. I want him to raise his hand and ask the tough question. I want him to be academically smart, but also learn how to become street smart and knowledgeable in all that he is interested in. It isn't often that you get to spend so much time with a little one and see them grow day-by-day and week-by-week, but when you do, you see the incredible process of learning and growing and all you can think is you hope for the best for them. In this case, my hope is that he can continue to be himself as he was today. The world will teach him the tough lessons, but hopefully he learns to stay the path and proceed forward when he wants to. While he should listen to his parents, he will also have to one day make those decisions himself. Life is like that. I hope that we welcome all the lessons life has for us, as they can only make us better even when they tear us down. These lessons will teach us about ourselves and the world around us and it is in these challenging moments that we will learn the most about ourselves and how we can continue to be ourselves. Some will falter to the influence of those around, while others will be steadfast and avoid being moved. Jordan has a lot to learn, but in reality, my hope is that he learns to walk soon, because tomorrow is my day in the "walking pool." Just kidding, I hope that he learns that in life, there will be the ups and downs, but all will be right if you stay true to yourself, your values and your morals. It's only been a year, but I learned more than I could have ever imagined.