Let them Have Cake

As I stood there, in the freezing cold Chuck E Cheeses, I looked at the clock on my phone hoping that it was almost time to go home.  As a mom, I am not particularly fond of Chuck E Cheese.  Besides it being a breeding ground for germs, it is unbelievable how much they rip you off by making you pay for coins then requiring an insane amount of tickets to get even a remotely good prize.  Either someone would have to be a pro at beating the games, or he’d have to come back several times, saving his tickets each time, in order to get one of the top prizes.  To my dismay, there was still a half-hour left before the party would be over.  Not that a half-hour is that long, but it already felt like I had been there for three hours.

Then, I looked at my kids.  I watched how nicely they were sitting at the table amidst the rest of the children attending the party eating their birthday cake.  They were so happy.  I smiled as they shoveled their cake into their mouths with their forks, totally entranced by that single piece of cake in front of them.  They cared about nothing else.  They were living in the moment.

After that, my heart changed.  I no longer cared that I was uncomfortably cold in a place I try my hardest to avoid.  All I cared about was that my kids were happy.  I took the cue from them and decided to live in the moment with them.  They are only little for so long and I want them to enjoy every moment of their childhood.  All it took for them at this moment was having that piece of cake. 

Perhaps we could all use a little direction from our kids.  Do you ever notice that when they are doing something, they are totally focused on that thing and that thing only?  Do you realize that they do not dwell on the past or worry about the future?  Do you notice that no matter how many times you yell at them, they still love you and come to you for their needs?  Do you see how easy it is for them to forgive? 

 Kids are the epitome of simplicity.  It takes very little for them to be content.  The most important thing we can do as parents is to nurture their simple nature with unending love and plenty of opportunities to be happy.  Let them have cake, let them play hard, let them run free, let them create.  Childhood is when the buds form.  If we water them just the right amount, if we give them valuable instruction while still letting them enjoy being little, our kids will bloom into the most beautiful flowers!