I knew that becoming a mother would give me the chance to see the world in a new way. I couldn’t wait to introduce my first born to all of the beautiful things the world has to offer. What I didn’t realize is that I would start to see everything differently. That being a parent would change my view of so many every day things.
One of the great gifts afforded to those who dare venture into the land of parenthood is being able to see the world through a new pair of eyes. A pair of eyes that are younger, less jaded, and considerably more amazed with the world around them.
I’ve noticed recently that a little of my two year olds perspective has rubbed off on me. Things that were once annoying and frustrating are now a treat. In my pre-mommy life getting stuck behind and then having to pass a big rig on the freeway was a pain. Now it’s an adventure. I can practically feel my son’s excitement radiating from the back seat. A truck! Could there be anything more exciting?
Lately I find myself going out of my way to take a route with road construction if I can. I cross my fingers and hope against hope that we will be lucky enough to be stuck in traffic. I pray that we will be held up long enough to get a good look at the construction vehicles working on the road.
The ultimate treat comes only when we are fortunate enough to see a train while we are out and about. Will the arm go down before we get to the train tracks? Will we be able to sit here and watch a train go by? Will it be a long one? I used to HATE getting stuck at the train tracks….especially if it was a long train. Now it can be the highlight of the day.
Even little things that I never thought twice about before have turned into an event. Every Friday morning the garbage truck comes to take away the trash. Such a simple thing to me, but THE most exciting spectacle for my two year old. No matter what we are doing we have to stop to see the garbage truck. We run to the door, open it up, and watch it take the trash away. We say thank you to the garbage truck for taking away all of the stinky diapers and trash. We wave goodbye as it drives off down the street. Then we spend the rest of the morning talking about the amazing big blue garbage truck.
Who knew I’d be hoping to be stuck behind a truck, or waylaid waiting for a train? I never expected to hope to be slowed down by traffic. I certainly didn’t anticipate waving to the garbage truck each week. As unexpected as all of this has been I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I feel so blessed knowing that I have another little one to share all of this excitement with in the not too distant future.
