I love the age Little Miss is at right now — almost two years old. (Then again, I feel like I say that at every new “age.”) The connections she’s making, the words she’s learning, her bubbling personality. Everything! Of course though, with growing up and learning so much, she’s also discovering the world doesn’t revolve around her every want. With that new realization, I’ve already seen the signs of “terrible twos,” the full-blown tantrums and cry fests when I refuse her “candy,” or, God forbid, an episode of “Princess Sophia.”
But I’ve also noticed a resilience and determination in her that astounds me.
I first noticed it when she started walking last summer. She’s always been rather tentative — especially in comparison to her boisterous cousin — and those first few steps were always a bit shaky, but she, of course, kept at it. Now she’s running through the house full charge during most of her waking hours.
That’s not to say she doesn’t fall down… Little Miss still does, perhaps even more so now that she’s running. But more often than not she stands up, “shakes” it off, and is right back it.
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I see the same determination in her now when she’s trying new things, like putting together her Melissa and Doug puzzles or discovering how to fit a lid on to an empty jam jar, or even climbing up onto the couch. For that last one, I long ago lost count of how many tries it took her before she finally got up there. Now she gets up there like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
Therein lies Little Miss’s latest lesson for me: no matter how daunting something seems, no matter how tall that couch is, don’t give up. Don’t stop trying. Because the more you try… and the more you try new things? The more successful you’ll be.
After all, Little Miss has figured out the easiest way to climb up to the couch. It isn’t pushing herself off the ground, but rather by standing at the 90-degree corner where the two sectionals meet and getting one knee up to propel herself up. And that’s just one example of her resilience and never-give-up attitude. Does she get frustrated at times? Of course. Does she walk away from something, too? Totally. But, more often than not, she’ll also return to it later… ready to give the puzzle piece yet another try, even if its a few days later.
So, my message to you today: If there’s something you want badly enough, go for it. Don’t let anything stop you. Because chances are, like my sweet little toddler, you’ll get it right one of these times, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have someone cheering you on the whole way.
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