Recently I’ve been spending some time around our two toddler grandsons.

Both are active little guys who find joy in their surroundings. Jack and Daniel smile all the time, give hugs freely and are getting to be friends.

We took care of one of them this morning, a definite plus for us. As I watched Jack play, I thought how beautifully toddlers have life figured out. Here’s what the 17-month-old taught me…

Don’t rush through life. Jack was walking through some leaves, and they were rustling beneath his sneakers.

He stopped, looked down and smiled. He turned around and walked through them a few more times, each time marveling at the sounds he was making.

So many times I rush through the day, never stopping to see the beauty right underneath my nose. Even though it’s winter, there’s a few patches of green grass trying to break through.

Some of the native flowers are still blooming, and butterflies are lighting on some of the blooms. I miss that most days, but Jack reminded me to stop and look around.

I made Jack breakfast, and it took him about 20 minutes to eat. He savored every bite of the scrambled eggs. He poked around at the sliced bananas and then ate them, one by one.

Most mornings, I’m wolfing down a toasted English muffin in my car or eating a bowl of cereal while reading the news. I can barely remember I ate anything an hour later.

Jack reminded me that food not only nourishes our body but it’s delicious if we’ll take the time to actually taste what we’re eating.

We went outside, and Jack picked up a kids shovel. He poked around in every patch of dirt we came across.

I guess he was looking for treasure, and he’s on to something. There’s often riches where we least expect to find them. All we have to do is slow down and dig around a little.

We walked past the bushes on the side of our house, and Jack saw a path our dog likes to take that weaves around the back of the bushes. Jack stopped, looked, and then followed the path a little ways.

As I watched him venture into the unknown, I marveled at his bravery. Who knows what we’ll discover if we take a new path. Who knows what adventures lie ahead by the rose bush or behind the boxwood plant?

Jack didn’t know, but he was willing to try and find out.

Later we went to the mall, and he saw the carousel. Jack absolutely loves riding the carousel, and he sat on the horse a good five minutes before his mom caught up with us.

He wasn’t anxious – he simply sat there, looking around, knowing the ride would start soon. He was watching what was going on around him.

Sheepishly, I realized I hadn’t noticed anything. Once I followed what Jack was doing, I noticed families sitting together, eating burgers and fries.

Friends were talking a mile a minute at another table, and an older couple was enjoying a smoothie as they sat in comfortable silence.

After the second carousel ride, Jack wasn’t happy to get off the horse, and I couldn’t blame him. Up there, he was on top of the world, free to ride into the wind, with his mom beside him in case anything went wrong.

Daniel is a little younger and he’s exploring the world one step at a time. Dogs are furry friends, siblings will carry you where you want to go but, sometimes, make sure you’re following them.

So what have I learned from them?

When you’re surrounded by people who love you, there’s no limit as to what you can accomplish. If you’re alone, taking steps into the world requires bravery and curiosity.

As young as they are, they know to go for the gusto.

Grab the ring on the carousel ride.

Splash in a water puddle.

I’m going to see what’s ahead on paths I’ve overlooked, opportunities that were right in front of me.

Thanks boys for showing me the way.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.