The Joy of Laughter

There is nothing better than a child’s laugh – pure, unadulterated joy. I’m visiting my daughter and celebrating her son’s second birthday. It has been so much fun! Rather than getting a list from my daughter with what to get my grandson, I decided we’d just make it an annual tradition to take him shopping and let him pick out his own presents. I thought it might be crazy with him wanting everything he saw but, even at two, he has likes and dislikes and just picked a few things that he really wanted. He’s not as much into toys as he is grown up items. His favorite “toy” is the vacuum cleaner, so he picked out a toy shopping cart and a toy sink that he loves.

Since his other grandma already uses the name “grandma” – she has two previous grandchildren – I’m “Mimi” and my wife is “Coco”. He started saying our names right before we came to visit. My heart swells as he calls out, “Mimi! Mimi!”. He wants to show me everything. He’s an active two-year-old, but I have been able to get a couple hugs out of him.

There’s something about a toddler that can teach us grownups a thing or two. They tackle life. Everything is an adventure. Everything must be enjoyed thoroughly. Dislikes are stated emphatically but there’s no holding grudges. A pout can change to a smile in a second. Laughter is not quiet; it’s a full-on belly laugh. They understand the power of presence. They live in the moment and want to share it. He wants me to watch him and play alongside him. He looks for things to experience: a slide, a water table, a trampoline.

There’s something a new parent can teach us as well. Parenting is hard. You don’t succeed without a lot of failures along the way. I watch my daughter and am amazed. I got married at 18, mom at 19 and mom again at 20. Looking back, I was a BABY! What the heck did I know about raising kids?  My daughter is older. Getting pregnant took time. My grandson was eagerly anticipated and much more researched. I didn’t have TikTok or ChatGPT. Parenting books were limited. She puts so much thought into parenting. She has so much more patience than I do. There’s a reason behind what she does as a parent. We don’t always agree – I have my own version of parenting – but I know that what she does has been thoroughly examined and is intentional.

This child is so loved and cherished. I got him an affirmation bunny. On its stomach are the words: “I Am Kind, I Am Smart, I Am Brave, I Am Confident, I Am Capable, I Am Grateful, I Am Loved, I Am Enough, I Am [Name]. I want him to live that out and I have no doubt he will. He has already shown himself to be empathetic, even at two. He will occasionally hit but when the response is distress, he immediately tries to comfort.

As he wraps his arms around me to give me a hug, his small body fitting with mine, I feel an indescribable peace. I am loved and cherished. I don’t know if I’ll have any other grandchildren but the one I have is perfect – even with his imperfections. I see this brilliant little boy and think of the brilliant child I raised who gave him to me. I see the strong will that rebelled against me and the ginormous heart that loved me first. I see a world I want for him to live in that he has already improved with his presence. I don’t know how long I have until the cognitive impairment steals him from me but for today, I am in heaven, and I will take each day as a blessing that I have this little guy in my life.