In the mind of a child.

I spent almost a week with my nephew who's 3 years and 10 months old and honestly, it's probably equivalent to the quality time I'd spend with a Guru in a cave on a mountain somewhere.

For a kid who's not even 4 yet, he was amazingly adept in conversation.  He could tell you reasons why he liked something or why he doesn't like something.  He could make a statement and ask for your opinion.  Maybe I'm out of touch with kids but for the life of me I couldn't recall them being able to 'hold' conversations if you know what I mean.  Kids these days, are amazing.  Scrap these days, they've always been amazing.

In a span of one week, he has reminded me:

1) It's okay to be angry.  It's okay to be scolded by someone you love.  And it's okay to cry.  But everything is forgotten the next minute.  You love and you hug without grudges.  It's almost as though that 'nasty' episode never happened.  Being angry and being scolded doesn't make you love the other person less.

2) It's okay to miss someone.  And it's okay to be excited when you see that someone and actually show it with no inhibitions.  It's okay to grin as wide as possible and make silly faces because it's okay to show them how important they are.

3) It's okay to explore.  It's okay to be curious and want to touch everything you cross path with because if it's really dangerous, someone will warn you.  Otherwise nothing beats the actual experience of knowing what it feels and to quench that curiosity than to wonder about it forever.

4) It's okay to say no.  It's okay to tell someone you don't like something.  All you have to do is just request politely; please stop it, you're hurting me.  That's it.  No need for drama.

5) It's okay to ask if you want something.  But truly understand that it's a blessing to get it.  Toys need money and money needs to come from somewhere.  It's important to understand that someone gave something so that you can have it.  And it's important to share that story with others, so that they know how happy you are.  And it's important to say thank you.

6) It's okay to play.  It's okay to have fun.  It's okay to run around silly.  It's okay to hold hands and dance in circles till your head spins and you fall down and you laugh at each other for being so silly.  It's okay to not have a reason to be so silly.  It's okay that the world is looking but you are still so silly.  Who cares about the world.

7) It's okay to do homework.  It's okay to have fun in doing what is important.  Math or maze, it's more fun when you do it with someone.  And it's okay to ask someone to do it with you.

8) It's okay to be embarrassed.  It's okay to have made a mistake.  As long as you have loved ones backing you up, then there's no shame.  It's important to share the reason why you made that mistake.  But it's more important to get over it and move on in the next 10 minutes because seriously, it's not that big of a deal.

He was here for approximately a week and every day, I learned something new from him.  I don't really know if you'd call this 'something new' because c'mon, face it.  It's something we all knew.  We've all been children.  But you know what?  Sometimes, it's really okay to be children too.  Yes, it's really o.k.

I miss him so much and here's my smiley face :)