I have an amazing teacher in my life. She is 2 years old. yes, that's right! 2 years!
What's wonderful about her is that she isn't set out to teach me anything, but goes on offering me lesson after lesson just by being who she is. She lives the teachings I receive from her, becomes a live example. And that's how she teaches me.
Like in any relationship, occasionally there are moments of friction between her and I. I get angry at her and start verbalizing my anger and irritation. Sometimes give her timeouts or any other way that seems right for that moment to let my frustration out.
She looks at me with tonnes of questions in her eyes. She has a limited vocabulary but she doesn't say anything. She tries hard not to cry but breaks out in tears in just a few moments. As she does that, she opens her arms wide for a hug...
What? Now the questions are in my eyes. You want to hug me? The same person who just hurt you? The same one who just made you cry?
She leaves me speechless. I have to hug her! No, I want to hug this beautiful person... The person who can forgive so easily, the person who doesn't hold grudge even for a moment, the person who wants to love even when hurt, the person who can see through the hurtful words/actions on surface and doesn't use them to doubt my true love or her. She teaches me it is so easy to love the person who may appear unkind to you. and so easy to win them back with that love. She teaches me that the person who is the reason of your pain can also comfort you, only if you let them...
Today she was watching her favorite cartoon while I cooked her lunch. She called me, "Can you come here please?"
"Why dear?"
"Because I want to laugh with you!"
I couldn't help but smile. What a beautiful reason to ask for someone's company. There's a funny scene in that cartoon which she loves and wanted to watch it with me. But she didn't say, "Come here, so we can watch the movie together.", She said "Come here, so we can laugh together". She knows what's the real happiness. It is not the movie.. it is the laughter we share!
Often we associate our happiness with physical materialistic things. When I go to Hawaii, I will be happy. When I write a book, I will be happy. When I get invitation to that party, I will be happy. We don't realize happiness is not in those things. It is in the experience we seek in them. And that experience is abundantly available in many other ways, right now which we completely miss due to our ignorance.
There is so much that she teaches me if I just allow myself to see it. I had to take a 2 hour break to get to writing this sentence. That's because she took more than 2 hours to fall asleep after going to bed. 12 AM now and she has school tomorrow! While I was getting all agitated and annoyed trying to make her sleep, she turned to me and said. "Maa, Happy face please!" and smiled to show me how it's done. :)
What's wonderful about her is that she isn't set out to teach me anything, but goes on offering me lesson after lesson just by being who she is. She lives the teachings I receive from her, becomes a live example. And that's how she teaches me.
Like in any relationship, occasionally there are moments of friction between her and I. I get angry at her and start verbalizing my anger and irritation. Sometimes give her timeouts or any other way that seems right for that moment to let my frustration out.
She looks at me with tonnes of questions in her eyes. She has a limited vocabulary but she doesn't say anything. She tries hard not to cry but breaks out in tears in just a few moments. As she does that, she opens her arms wide for a hug...
What? Now the questions are in my eyes. You want to hug me? The same person who just hurt you? The same one who just made you cry?
She leaves me speechless. I have to hug her! No, I want to hug this beautiful person... The person who can forgive so easily, the person who doesn't hold grudge even for a moment, the person who wants to love even when hurt, the person who can see through the hurtful words/actions on surface and doesn't use them to doubt my true love or her. She teaches me it is so easy to love the person who may appear unkind to you. and so easy to win them back with that love. She teaches me that the person who is the reason of your pain can also comfort you, only if you let them...
Today she was watching her favorite cartoon while I cooked her lunch. She called me, "Can you come here please?"
"Why dear?"
"Because I want to laugh with you!"
I couldn't help but smile. What a beautiful reason to ask for someone's company. There's a funny scene in that cartoon which she loves and wanted to watch it with me. But she didn't say, "Come here, so we can watch the movie together.", She said "Come here, so we can laugh together". She knows what's the real happiness. It is not the movie.. it is the laughter we share!
Often we associate our happiness with physical materialistic things. When I go to Hawaii, I will be happy. When I write a book, I will be happy. When I get invitation to that party, I will be happy. We don't realize happiness is not in those things. It is in the experience we seek in them. And that experience is abundantly available in many other ways, right now which we completely miss due to our ignorance.
There is so much that she teaches me if I just allow myself to see it. I had to take a 2 hour break to get to writing this sentence. That's because she took more than 2 hours to fall asleep after going to bed. 12 AM now and she has school tomorrow! While I was getting all agitated and annoyed trying to make her sleep, she turned to me and said. "Maa, Happy face please!" and smiled to show me how it's done. :)
