Simone started crawling this past week and I got to witness it for the first time last night. The whole room roared and celebrated while she put on a crawling display. Six adults were some kind of impressed and excited as the 9 month old princess pushed herself up, got on her own knees, and put together the complex series of body movements necessary to move across my Mom and Dad's living room floor. It's not that we have never seen a kid crawl before. We all have. As a matter of fact, we have all crawled before personally. So why were we genuinely excited? Why did we cheer like the Cowboys were winning a playoff game or something? Why did no one in the room get up and say "That's nothing! Watch! I can get myself across the room using only my legs"? 2 words. Love and progress. We cheered her on because we love HER and this is progress for HER!
We don't think she will stop at this means of transport. We fully expect that in the next few months she will walk on two legs and even go on to running, jumping, skipping, dancing, prancing, strutting etc. I'm very confident of it! I watched a very similar progression with her Aunt Kandice and her Mom Tiffani over 20 years ago.
Tonight wasn't about the things she has yet to master. It was about celebrating her at this stage of development and enjoying the progress she is making. We didn't talk about her falls but her crawls. There was no discussion of the things she hasn't achieved, whispers that her balance wasn't quite perfect or chit chat about her failure to launch on the first couple of tries. Nobody felt the need to compete or point out that she isn't potty trained and can't ride a bike. We were just happy because she is growing and learning. Our love and her progress caused genuine, spontaneous, joy and celebration!
Crawling may not impress you but crawling is Simone's "next step". It is her progressing toward the person she is becoming. So, those of us who love her celebrate! It was good for her and even better for us.
Makes me wonder if maybe this is a practice we should continue past childhood. With others and ourselves.
Oh Jessie, you are so right on! We "Christians" need to celebrate everyone's "stage of development" and help them grow--but not by pushing--by gently just "being there" and cheering each person on!
So where are those cheerleaders when one really needs one?
"Growing and learning" that is what it is all about and sometimes we each need to return to that crawling stage.
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Joan | January 12, 2010 at 09:07 AM
I like this! I know, too much time on Facebook.
Posted by: Mike | January 15, 2010 at 12:00 PM