The first month of the year is waving us good-bye. Have you seen where did it go? A new week starts, and with it, new opportunities to make someone’s life better. Start at home, but don’t stay there. Our world needs your unique contribution!
Tip of the week: GIVE -AND GET- THE BEST BREAKFAST YOU CAN HAVE: A DOUBLE LAUGHTER! Sunday started with a morning walk. The sun had been up for a while, so it was already a hot and bright day in Abuja. Little did we know that in just a couple of minutes, it would be even brighter. As we strolled down the hill, a gorgeous pair of sweet eyes and a broad smile illuminated our path. A gentle but vivacious “good morning” ensued, and the innocent joy on her face displayed upon hearing our response accompanied us all day.
She must have been four, perhaps less, but certainly not more than five years old. She was tiny and powerful. We never knew her name, and it is unlikely we will see her again, but she struck a chord and brought us back to pondering about the basics in life. Why was she so special? Maybe because she was not. She was just a kid. A sweet, innocent, smiling, adorable, average kid, and -do not be fooled- that is the most amazing thing on earth! As we waved her good-bye, we got into asking the eternal question: why do they have to grow? And, deep inside, each of us reminisced about the almost forgotten time when we also were sweet, innocent, smiling, adorable, and ordinary kids.
I chuckled at my faded memories and got a bit nostalgic about some of my shattered childhood dreams, but then immediately jumped into questioning what have I done about my children’s own. I am proud of what I have done and very sure that you and I did -and will continue to do- our very best. Still, I am also convinced that if given the opportunity (the proverbial time machine), I’d focus more on keeping their innocent smiles and less on ensuring them a ‘bright’ and ‘successful’ future by outdated social standards.
Perhaps one of the good things that the pandemic has brought is the encouragement and possibility to re-think the definitions of success, to question the simplified linear paths to happiness we commonly design for us and our loved ones; to re-discover what really is amazing, and to challenge what are simple ego-driven acquisitions.
From my introspection, and thanks to the nuggets of wisdom shared by my walking buddy, this week I invite you to re-visit your morning routines and ensure that our kids, partners, spouses, family, friends, and anyone who lives with us start their day with a smile, preferably a good laugh, ideally a ‘double laughter.’
Is it really that important to eat all the nutritious food available? Is it critical that everything is neat and done exactly as it was planned or due? Every single day? Do you think they -and you- will go out better prepared to face the day’s uncertainties and challenges if you entirely comply with all these routines every day? I don’t. I now submit that, most likely, an empty belly, crazy hair, or a messy room (all fixable later!) would make no difference throughout the day. But a happy awakening, a joyful gathering, and a loving good-bye will definitively provide everyone in our households, including ourselves, with a better starting point.
Maybe the little girl who greeted us on the street will not become a nuclear scientist, be the richest woman on earth, or even acquire an academic degree. Or maybe she will, who knows? But I pray that, whatever happens with her life, she will retain for many years to come -hopefully forever- the spark in her eyes, the sweetness in her smile, and the innocence in her heart. That is also the wish I have for your and my children.
Have a great week!