The happiest person I know is my grandson, Asher.
In the past year, this toddler has been my teacher. This baby Buddha constantly showers wisdom my way. Here are some life lessons from an almost two year old:
Say "no" like you mean it.
No one says "no" better than a toddler. He says no to anything he doesn't want to pass his lips or enter his crib. I still struggle to say no. He already believes "no" is a complete sentence.
Savor the small stuff.
When I took him to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I couldn't wait to see his expression when he saw the huge hippos and giant giraffes. He barely looked up. He was busy collecting sticks and rocks. From his viewpoint, everything in life is as mesmerizing as a hippo and giraffe.
Pause in the presence of beauty.
When we walked into the Rainforest, as soon as you enter the building, you're greeted by a giant waterfall. Asher dropped to the floor as soon as he saw it. He sat right in the entry, staring up, mouth open, drooling in awe for 15 minutes – an eternity for a toddler. When you're his age, it's okay to drool when you're awed by life. I plopped down next to him, awed by his total attention to beauty, and tried not to drool.
Use your words.
One day his mom walked to his crib, kissed his forehead through the bars and expected him to smile. Instead, he gave her a scowl, stood up, and ordered: "UP....WALK....GO" and pointed to the door. She said, "Can you at least say please?" He did.
Sing every chance you get.
When I get to snuggle with him before naps or bedtime, he'll look up to me and order, "Sing." Instead of gramma, he calls me Gita, which, in Sanskrit, means song.
Believe that you are loved.
When he spends the night we read books, sing, then I gently put him in the crib and whisper, "Gita loves Asher, Papa loves Asher, Mommy loves Asher, Daddy loves Asher, everybody loves Asher." With eyes closed, he smiles and says, "Yay!"
Wear fun clothes.
How can life not be joyful when you're wearing cow slippers, shirts with monsters and pajamas with monkeys?
When Asher was going to his aunt's wedding, he got all excited when his parents said he was going to wear a tux. He thought they said, "trucks" and cried when he discovered it was a boring black jacket. I sewed two little patches inside the jacket, On one side, he had a fire truck, on the other, a dump truck. When he wore his "tux" he also wore his trucks. The reception was more fun when he ditched the "tux" for his dinosaur fleece pajamas and ran around the dance floor until bedtime.
Stand in the light.
When he walks up the stairs, he freezes when he sees a sunbeam in his path. He tries to grab the light with his hands. When he sees sunlight on the floor, he dances on it to get the light on his feet so the light will dance, too.
Color outside the lines.
No explanation is needed, but some spot remover is.
Ask for help.
My daughter took him with her shopping to try on clothes. In the dressing room when he saw her take off her shirt, he tried to take off his. He couldn't do it and cried out, "Hep, hep." One day he called out to her from his crib, "Stuck, stuck." He'd taken his arms out of his sleeves and couldn't get them out of the shirt.
Show your love.
Blow kisses. Offer hugs. Give fist bumps. Drool all over the people you love.
Get your sillies out.
Don't hold them in. Before bed his parents tell him, "Get your sillies out" and he convulses with laughter, sticks his tongue out, shakes his head, throws his hands in the air and runs around in circles. He releases all the leftover joy to make room for more.
What a great way to end every day and to start a new year.
Join Regina Brett at 7 p.m. on WKSU FM/89.7 for "The Regina Brett Show." This week: How to declutter your life.