This past Thursday I watched as one of the infants in Cohort 8
discovered how to put on a necklace…and take it off again.
She spent a bit of time looking closely at the necklace and
than, simply and resolutely, worked to get the necklace on. She tried…and tried…and tried
again. I sat close by, watching
and waiting and wondering – could she figure this out? Would she get frustrated or simply be
done with the attempts?
She tried…and tried again. And just like that, between one breath and another, the
necklace was on. I said calmly, “You did it. You
got the necklace on,” but internally I was jumping up and
down and wanting to share this new accomplishment with whatever adult was close
enough to hear me! She did
it! She tried, over and over, and
got the necklace on! She modeled perseverance,
determination, and a willingness to try over and over!!
And then the necklace came off. And went back on.
She would crawl about the yard, rediscover the necklace around her neck
– off again, on again, off again, on again. And crawl some more.
The joy, hidden in moments like these, is contained in
watching someone do something, discover something or experience something for
the first time – EVER! In these
moments I reflect that this infant, this small young person, has just done
something for the absolute first time in their young lives and I had the
privilege to bear witness – to celebrate, support, and encourage.
So, when the day is long and perhaps naps have been short, I
find such joy in reflecting on all the amazing 'first times' I have witnessed
and think ahead to all the wonderful ones just waiting to be discovered.
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