Lesson from a 9 month old

It is amazing what one can learn in 37 years. And even more amazing what one can learn in 9 months. Or what one can learn from a 9 month old person. I sit here scratching my head. My daughter has left me without much sleep for the past week. I can only gather that she has been just as sleep-deprived as I am. Yet while I sit bleary-eyed and barely able to focus on the ceiling, she sits on the floor, examining the wonder of her hand, the dog, the cat, the plant on the mantle. She is exploring her surroundings, and letting little shouts of joy escape every time she pulls herself to standing. Meanwhile, snot is running down her face and she has a bad case of the hiccups.

These days for me, a rough night of sleep requires 3 cups of coffee. Sinus congestion leaves me whimpering. A rainy day sends me into a sea of depression. But for my daughter, she plugs on...doing what she does. She laughs at just about anything. The same toys that she's been playing with for months bring her new joy every day, as if it was the first time she'd ever seen that wooden rattle. Actually, she can make do with an empty paper towel roll.

So I am sitting here on the sofa, contemplating how I am going to find the energy to get through the day...wondering how I am going to pack for my trip, get to work again, make some groceries. I found myself actually thinking about how little sleep I am going to be getting over the next few nights. Ridiculous, I know. And I look over at Colette, and she's busying herself with a set of stacking blocks. I decide (after a cup of coffee, of course) that I am going to try to take a lesson from her and just not worry about it. Maybe even just live in the moment and try to take every experience for what it is. Maybe there is hidden joy in taking out the trash. Maybe I will find the next great adventure at Whole Foods. You never know. Today, I am going to seek out the wisdom of a 9 month old.