A Spring of Joy

Oh, to have the simple joys of a child, for Asher finds delight in
every toy, in every walk, in every hug, in almost every moment of his
day. It constantly amazes me how Asher can amuse himself for hours with
a comb, or a water bottle, or a couple of make-up brushes. He will busy
himself, crawling around with an item in each hand, finding places to
store them, showing them to his stuffed animals, or even sleeping with
them. He is excited each day when he re-discovers them and will clutch
them to his chest with great satisfaction.

Throughout the week, I have watched as Asher takes his toys and hides
them in odd places. He then forgets where he has hidden them, only to
find them later where he is just as excited as when he sought them out
that morning. At one point I found him sitting in front of our closet
door fussing and pointing inside, and I told him that he couldn’t play
with our shoes just then (another of his favorite pastimes). He cried
and cried, and I tried to explain to him that we don’t always get what
we want (something I think I still need to learn). Imagine my sour
taste of humble pie, when I opened the closet later to find his comb
sitting right in front where he had slid it through the crack and
couldn’t retrieve it. I took him back to the closet, held him close,
gave him his comb and told him how sorry I was…of course, by that
point he had no idea what I was talking about, but he got snuggle time,
his comb back, and he got to play with our shoes.

I love to watch Asher play. He cycles through each of his toys
throughout the day, and will play for hours at a time, amusing himself
quietly in the living room. He has discovered the ability to put lids
on containers, and he will sit and put them on, take them off, put them
on, take them off….you get the idea. Each time, he will show me his
newly mastered skills with just as much excitement as he did at the
first. It is a sweet, simple joy…as he finds in everything.

Taking walks are his favorite part of each day. If I had the energy, I
think he would spend every waking moment in his stroller, and he will
sit up watching life around him zealously and delighting in every
passing attraction. He loves every living creature, and will shout
“doddie” whenever he hears one bark, “dirdie” whenever one flys
overhead, or “ditty” whenever one crosses our path. He will wave to
everyone who walks or drives by, and will point at things which
interest him yet puzzle Brian and me.

It varies from day to day how Asher will absorb his stroller ride. Some
days it entails sitting forward chattering the whole time, while on
other days he will lie back, juice in hand, sunglasses perched on his
nose and gaze quietly around him with only a soft grunt every now and
then. But each and every time we return home, he will immediately try
to get back into his stroller the moment I get him down. Rainy days
have become the bane of my existence, for Asher will sit at the door or
point at his stroller and cry when he can’t go for a walk. Few things
will distract him from this endeavor, and I have found myself walking
Asher through the living room and hallway so that he can have his
stroller ride…and he loves that, too!

Asher finds immense pleasure in his books as well. He will sit with
piles of books at his feet and chatter while he turns the pages. If he
should happen to find a picture of a kitty (which is probably in 2/3 of
his books), he will scream with glee and find me to point out the
“ditty” in the book. Then he will continue to sit and “talk” with the
kitty in the book until he picks up another book and replays the same
scenario.

Asher’s intense obsession with his daddy is played out every day as he
finds pictures of Brian throughout the house, and screams with sheer
rapture. “Daddy! Da-Da-Da-Da-Daddy!” Then he will sit, holding his
treasured picture, and talk with his daddy, pausing every few moments
to show me the picture yet again. It’s not just pictures of Brian that
excite Asher; he will watch our screensaver of baby pictures and squeal
at each one…pointing at the “oh dah” (his word for anything he can’t
say) with fascination.

If I even mention the word “bath”, he will scream with pleasure, trot
off to the bathroom, rip at his clothes the whole way, and stand by the
tub bouncing up and down until either Brian or I appear to give him his
beloved scrubbing. Mention any meal (breakfast, lunch, supper or
snack), and Asher will scream and crawl to his bib drawer to find a
bib. He will then sit in his high chair holding out both his hands, so
we can pray before he eats, then clench his fists with excitement when
he hears the amen. Mention a walk, and he will either find his stroller
or sit by the front door, all the while clapping his hands. Ask Asher
if he wants to read a book, and he will go to his box of books and pull
every one into his lap and wait for you to arrive and read to his
heart’s content. Ahhhh…I could go on for hours, for Asher’s joy
spreads throughout every aspect of his life.

Each night before bed, when Asher reaches for his bunny & bear and
snuggles down into my lap with a smile, it is truly my joy for the day.
To have this quiet time, holding my son and reflecting on the day past,
is such a calming time for me, and as Michael Card says, “…come to
the cradle of your child and pray that you might wake up as they nod
off to sleep. Come learn simplicity, naivete, simple, trusting faith.
Pray for them and over them and with them, asking the Father to be with
them as they grow to adulthood, and asking the Father to be with you,
as by His grace you become a child again.” As Asher’s eyes close in
sleep each night, I find myself thanking God for the lessons of my son
who has taught me so much by his ability to find life’s joy in simple
things.