Who Teaches Us Best?

~by Emi

Some people say that it is unhealthy to live in the past.

I'm tempted to agree.

But what a wonderful learning tool it is. I can't even begin to count the lessons that life has given me, both good and bad.

But there's a better learning tool out there, better than the past, better than any school, teacher or shrink...

'What is it?' you cry.

I'll get to that, I promise.

With the advent of a particularly tumultuous time in my life, it has led me to question myself more than usual. Who am I? How did I get here? If I had taken the other road, where would I be now? Would it be better? Would it be worse, or just... different? Massive life events have shaken me recently, right down to my very core and center of my being, making me question things that I haven't thought about, haven't faced, in a long, long while.

Today was a hard day.

Today, I had to cross a bridge that I have been unwilling to face for well over a decade, and was feeling particularly small and vulnerable.

But then...

Something happened.

Some ONE happened.

You remember I mentioned there was a better learning tool than the past? Want to know what it is?

...


...


...


Your children.

My children, my wonderful children give me the opportunity to learn. Every day, our children give us these amazing opportunities to learn simple, yet unavoidable lessons. Sometimes we forget that our children are actually teaching us most of the time.

I don't know about you, but there are so many times where Ru has said something outstandingly insightful and I am just blown away by his way of seeing things.

Today, he was my teacher.

Today, he came up to me and grabbed at me, then, cupping something in his hands, made a motion to throw it away.

When I asked him what he was doing, he said "Taking it 'way from choo, Mama.", as though this was the most *obvious* thing in the world.

"What are you taking away?" I questioned.

"I take *IT*, Mama, what make choo sad! I trow it 'way now, all gone!"

And with that, he sat back down and started playing with his pinecones again.

I was just sat there, speechless.



Screw the past, screw life, screw school and teachers and shrinks...

CHILDREN are our best teachers.

The only lesson I needed to learn today was the one my son taught me.

Let It Go.




Funny how they always know just what to say...



I don't think he'll ever know that I will remember that moment, possibly for the rest of my life.

What wonderful lessons our Littles have to teach us, if we just stop talking for a minute and listen to them, *really* listen to them...

Emi, x