It's no secret that I love children. They're sweet, adorable and... okay, maybe not all the time. But still, they're precious. I was observing one of my baby cousins a while back, and I was startled to hear him talk to me. Not in full, grammatically correct sentences or clear tones, no. He was teaching me through baby talk-non-verbal cues that can make a lot of sense if you're paying attention. I learned 5 things from him that day. Let me tell you about them.
First, I learned that if you want something, you have to cry (read: ask) for it. Uh, I guess that could mean writing a formal request, but in reality it usually means losing all your inhibitions and letting out a healthy, heartfelt howl. It's a sure way to get noticed, and if you do it long enough, you should get what you want. (Of course, it doesn't always work, but it usually does, under the right circumstances and with the right people).
Secondly, he taught me that if you don't get it right the first time, all you gotta do is try, try, try again. So what if I can't walk more than 2 1/2 steps right now? With practice, I'll walk 5! Yes, that's the baby way, alright. I'm not sure why we ever stopped approaching life that way. We'd certainly get a lot further with our pursuits.
Another thing I learned was that all things are best done in moderation. You really only need to drink so much milk as you can handle right now. The rest is not going anywhere, and even if it is, there's bound to be something better when you need it. Trying to cram it all in at once will only result in a tummy ache and an unstoppable return of the excess nourishment. Moral of the story? Greed doesn't pay.
This active baby had a fourth lesson point for me: don't hypocritically hug people you really can't stand. If you don't like someone, don't act as though they are your best buddy. That will backfire on your sooner or later. It's better you remain polite, but keep your physical and/or emotional distance. It's a more honest way, and perhaps it will spark a conversation in which you both can work out your differences... and THEN hug genuinely!
Last, but certainly not least, Baby Cousin taught me that it's quite okay to laugh at yourself. Everyone trips over their shoelaces-why blush? Just pick yourself up and laugh with the crowd. They'll fall in love with your humanness, and you'll feel more confident and comfortable with yourself. It's a much freer life when you don't take yourself oh-so-seriously.