I am so unbelievably grateful for all the opportunities for learning that I have had in my lifetime. I was lucky enough to have several early teachers who were able to encourage my interest in learning, as well as the natural classroom of the farm where I grew up. College brought some more awesome professors, who continued to encourage my love of learning something new, especially when it was on the topic of children and families- my chosen area for my professional training. I have also been blessed enough to have several 'unofficial' teachers along the way in the form of family, friends, co-workers, and classmates. I truly believe that everyone comes into your life to teach you something, be it something you want to learn more about or something you know you need to avoid.
Having all these opportunities for learning has allowed me to change my perspective and thinking on a lot of things, and hopefully they are moving toward the better for me and the people I interact with on a regular basis. :) Here are some of my most important lessons...
1. There is always time for doing good. Even if you are in a hurry, there is time to do something that will make someone else feel special, or just noticed. Doing the family shopping, it takes no time at all to give someone a smile, to thank someone for offering to help, to offer your help to someone who can't find or can't reach an item on the shelf. Paying it forward at a restaurant or drive through only takes a moment, and can let another person know you understand or care, even if only from a distance. A phone call to a friend, just to talk for the moment, or to plan something more. Volunteering your home for a family get together. Taking time to play Lego's with the children... All of these only need a little of your time, but can mean so much to the recipient.
2. Children truly are only little for a little while. They grow so super fast! It seems like yesterday that my little man was just a newborn, but now he can really read and do math and is such a sweet, independent boy. My dolly is such a sweet caretaker, and is learning and growing so much every day. And the super baby really isn't a baby anymore- he is very firmly almost a preschooler. While our lives are busy and sometimes hectic, I have never been one to schedule us for this, that, and the other thing every day, and so I have been able to spend a good amount of time with them every day. (This was definitely helped by my career choice and the awesome employers who made it easy for me to bring the munchkins to work with me!) However, there are times that a part of me wants to feel bad for taking time for doing things for myself (like sitting around with my nose in a book... Or my Kindle, which my husband insists is not a book...) But I do know that it is good for me to take some time for myself too. It is good to know the balance.
3. It is ok to change your mind, your perspective, and how you see the world. As you learn and grow, you have to incorporate the new information into what you already have. Sometimes, you will learn things that can contradict what you know or previously thought best. It can be so difficult sometimes to let go of being right in favor of learning to do what might be better in the situation for everyone. Trust me, I know.
4. People will move in and out of your life, and there isn't always anything you can do to stop them. There have been friends I thought I would never be without, who are no longer a part of my day to day life. I mourned when our friendships changed from what they were, but with time have learned that things worked out the way they were supposed to. I have wonderful people in my life now, people who challenge me to try new things, who are there to support me as a wife, a parent, a co-worker, an employee, a sibling, a child to my parents. I treasure them, and will for every day that I get to keep them.
5. There is always something new to learn. I work with children, and the research and knowledge is always changing and growing. All I have to do is look at how things have changed just since my little man was born to know how fast things can change. There are so many different things we know now than we did just a few short years ago, and that will change more. I am learning about food, nutrition, and diet, and the information available now is so different from what it was... and what it probably will be in just a few more years.
Learning and growing, to me, is one of the best gifts of my life. I love to learn new things- new crafts to do, new foods to make for my family and friends, new ways to improve my home and gardens, new ways to be the best mom and teacher that I can be. And all I have to do is ask the question.
It's that easy for you, too... :)
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