Lessons from a One Year Old

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Next week my little girl will be a year old. How is this even possible?

  • A whole year

  • 12 months

  • 52 weeks

  • 525,600 minutes (if the musical theatre geek in you sang that, we just became besties)

  • 31,536,000 seconds (yes, I had to look that one up)

 

What is that old saying? The days are long, but the years are short… or something like that. I tell you what, this has been the longest shortest year of my entire life. I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that my sweet baby is a year old. In fact, she’s hardly a baby. She zips all over the house, gets into everything she shouldn’t, dances and laughs without restraint.

Oh how I love her. Oh how I love that.

I watch her in amazement and wonder how much better our lives would be if we laughed as easily and danced as often. And there’s a part of me that worries about how the world could squish those things out of her.

So instead of worrying, I’ve decided that I’m going to take her cues and learn from her. Okay, I’ll still worry, but if I can model these things as she continues to grow- she’s got a better chance of continuing them, right? Right.

 

11 Lessons from a One Year Old

  1. Sometimes the best thing to do is just take a nap

  2. Eat your broccoli (Life is better when you’re regular)

  3. Read a little every day

  4. Get excited about things you love

  5. Always go for what you want

  6. Laugh often

  7. Show your favorite people how important they are

  8. Get up and try again

  9. Enjoy your food, but stop when you’re full

  10. Love yourself

  11. Just dance

Lessons from a 1 year old
 

 

Yes, this year has been long. And learning how to be a mom in isolation was not what I had planned. It’s been exhausting, and there have been times when I’ve sat in despair wondering if I’m just not cut out for this.

But you know what? I’m also laughing and dancing more. Going through any kind of life-change is hard work. I’m not the first, or only, person to go through this. So I laugh and dance with her. Because why not? There’s always time for a 20 second dance break.

And who knows. Maybe those 20 seconds of wiggles will lead to a laugh or a giggle… which can change the entire trajectory of your day.

This one year old. She’s got it figured out. Smart girl.

 

BONUS RESOURCES

7 LESSONS FROM 30 DAYS OF YOGA (WITH ADRIENE)
2021 WORD OF THE YEAR
10 MINUTE LIFE CHANGE
4 LESSONS FROM 2019
FIRST MOTHER'S DAY