Life Lessons From A One Year Old

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In September, our baby girl turns one. We are fortunate to be able to spend every day with her and have been blessed to see her hit milestones throughout this past year. We wanted to write a post in honor of her first year. There's a quote by Paulo Coelho, "A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires." It got us reflecting on how much insight, and frankly foresight, we've developed over the past year. This is 12 life lessons we've observed for these 12 months we've been blessed with this special little lady in our life.

Life Lessons From a One Year Old

1. Try-Fail-Adjust: From rolling to crawling to walking, we saw our daughter have so much fight in her to master a new skill. Children have a lot of tenacity and perseverance. They don't just give up when things get hard, they learn from 'what didn't work' to find 'what works'. As adults, we tend to avoid pain and discomfort, but isn't that part of our learning and growing process? 
2. Love the little things: Our daughter loves being outdoors. She loves flowers, grass, any running water, but she especially loves dogs; like really, really loves dogs. We have to stop and wave at EVERY dog. She is just pure joy. This is a huge lesson. Do we find gratefulness and joy even in the littlest things? If not, maybe it is time to 'stop and smell the roses.' 
3. Belly Laugh; it's good for your soul: Our daughter loves to laugh. Normally it is chuckles, but a couple times per day you get the big belly laugh. It is that enormous and infectious laugh that lights up a whole room. When's the last time you laughed like that? As adults, we look for so many external things to de-stress us, when sometimes we need to let loose and let out a good laugh from the depths. 
4. Dance like no one is watching: Our daughter loves music and dancing. Anytime there is music, you can catch her grooving. She is feeling herself and feeling the music. I think to myself, 'When do children develop self image issues and how can we hold onto that carefree spirt?' It is good to move and groove, and not care what ANYONE thinks. 
5. Be friendly to everyone: Our daughter loves to wave. She waves at everyone. We watch people just light up at her cheeky grin and playful wave. As adults, why do we lose this level of excitement to meet new people? How much better would the world be with a genuine desire to create connection? 
6. Ask questions: Even though our daughter's vocabulary is only a couple words deep, every time we pass a piece of art in the house, play with a toy or pick up a book, she is always wanting to learn. What if we, as adults, maintained this insatiable desire to learn new things instead of becoming close minded and complacent? Our goal is that, as a family, we never lose our sense of wonder. 
7. Ask for help: Our little one is constantly gesturing for help. Children are not afraid to ask for help. The main way that they learn is by seeking out people who have already mastered a task. I observe this and wonder why so many people try to muscle through things on their own instead of seeking subject-matter experts. Don't we all need guidance in lives? What is stopping you from seeking it out? 
8. Read good books: Since the day our daughter was born, we've read a book to her every night before bed. Our daughter loves books. You'll rarely see our home not scattered with books. We love her desire to learn. As adults, we spend way too much time filling our minds with TV and social media and not enough time learning and bettering ourselves. What is your desire to develop habits that cause you to consistently grow? 
9. Express yourself: Children are unapologetically themselves. No preconceived notions, just free spirited. Our daughter is into mimicking. You cough, she exaggerates a cough. You get excited and she takes it to the next level. To us, self expression is true authenticity. Do you work to bring your authentic self everyday? 
10. Get in a good stretch: Every morning, we stretch. She loves it. We lengthen the limbs and she gives out a big sigh followed by a huge smile. Motion creates emotion. Do you focus on the little things like stretching and focused breathing to get yourself going? If you don't, it is a game changer. It might look a little less flexible than a one year old, but it is definitely not less effective. 
11. Give BIG hugs: Our daughter loves to give big squeezes. She just knows when you need it and isn't afraid to give a good hug. When's the last time you gave a good hug? Honestly, this is one thing I've focused on in my marriage. A hug is just an extra special gesture that shows your emotional connection and intentional love. 
12. Grow your faith muscle: Children have innate faith and trust. They believe you'll catch them when they fall, look out for them, and show up when they need you. As adults, we stop trusting and having faith in people. We stop looking for the good in people. When's the last time you just acted in faith and believed that everything was going to work out?

Honestly I could go on and on, but I'll just stop here. Becoming a parent, has helped us grow mentally, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Truth is, we need her just as much as she needs us. We are lifelong team in each other's growth. We believe we are destined for greatness!

“Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them.” –Lady Bird Johnson

Thanks for being part of our life,
Brandon & Amanda
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Happy Birthday, Precious Jade!
Love, Dad & Mom