Can somebody give this girl a blackboard?

Last June 10 was Princess Wendy’s first day in her "big school". Yup, she’s already Grade 1. I wondered what "Grade 1" meant for her since it has always been a big deal when one says, "Uy, Grade 1 na sya? Wow!" What it is it with starting elementary anyway? One thing I know is that it means bigger school, harder lessons, and more projects!

Anyway, as I pondered on what new things Princess Wendy will be learning as she goes on in her elementary life, I started to think about what I have learned from her. I’ve always believed that children can teach us a lot…and that is without even them knowing it! Then, I realized that, indeed, as much as she has learned a lot from me, I too have learned a lot from her (and from other children also). Save from the nosebleeds that I get from her because of her vocabulary, hey, I picked up some lessons from her too in the 7 years she’s been around!

I learned from Wendy that trains are like people because they can chew, as in chooo-chooo! Also, that some birds are bald because their feathers are inside the pillows! Wendy also told me the secret as to why bananas go to the doctor….because they are not "peeling" well! Ha! Ha!

Aside from the laughs I get from her, I got to learn some serious stuff too:

Forgive and forget: my daughter and her best friend seem to be fighting all the time, but it’s truly a wonder how, the next moment (or the next day), they go back to being best friends as if nothing happened! If adults just learned this skill, we would be living in harmony peace. I firmly believe that forgiving and forgetting is more for the ones who forgive than for the one being forgiven (makes sense naman diba?).

Live simply: my daughter absolutely squeals on 100-peso toys as she does on expensive toys (sometimes even louder)! I mean, price means nothing to her. As long as she likes something, it doesn’t matter if it’s dirt cheap, she’ll go for it. And if she likes divisoria toys, so be it! (Good for me actually!) This can actually be applicable to us adults who think that we cannot live on simple lives…we can never be contented on what we have and always want to have what we do not have! We thrive on expensive stuff when we can go by with simple things! Simplicity is the beauty of life!

Money is not everything: My daughter always asks me during the night if I have work the next day, because If I don’t, I can stay up late with her; if I have, sorry, I have to sleep early. She’s always disappointed when I tell her that I have work because that means she’s got to play on her own. She tells me, "Mama, sana millionaire tayo noh, so you don’t have to work anymore!" (Such a simple mind!) This has taught me that children, and people in general, need more than material things from us…they need our time and presence, and more importantly, our love. Have you tried spending time with the people you love? I think this is the best way to show them that you love them.

And most of all, my daughter has taught me that I have the capability to love unconditionally, because that’s the way I feel for her. Honestly, I feel that her hugs, her kisses, her smiles, and she herself are all that keep me wanting to live a lot longer!

These lessons go to show that we learn from everybody…even from that little angel who sometimes makes us want to flush our sanity into the toilet!