Friday, July 17, 2009

Walking with Astonishment

My wife, Jennifer, and I are consistently amazed by our nine-month old son, Tyler. This morning at seven, as I pushed him in his stroller around our apartment complex, that amazement pinnacled in one glorious moment.

As we approached another early-morning rambler, Tyler's arms extended wide from the berth of his stroller, and as I peered around to see his face, it held an expansive grin, his mouth hanging open. When the young man came close to us, Tyler began to scream in excitement, as if he were saying, Holy cow! Another person! Look, Dad, there's another guy walking around! Wow! Wow! As corny as my recitation of what Tyler might have thought sounds, it feels right, true.

Tyler looks at the world around him in astonishment. He is consistently amazed by: the people he sees, the feel of water, heat and cold, food, colors, sounds. In the face of our nine-month old son, I see what a life lived in wonder looks like--and seeing this empowers my own soul.

Indeed, at times, the child is the teacher.

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