Lessons From a Newborn Baby

All 10 lbs and 3 oz of baby boy arrived on February 10th around 6:30 AM. Since his arrival, I've been thinking about what Maddox is already teaching me and what I would like to teach him. Here are my thoughts so far.

Lessons from Maddox:

• Life is precious
• We all need to feel loved and secure
• Anything is possible if we pick ourselves up after we fall down (a baby keeps trying, after repeated failures, to take those first steps)
• The world is full of wonderful new things if we take the time to notice them
• A smile (even if it's just gas) can brighten someone's day
• Being healthy is not something to take for granted
• The best things in life are worth waiting for
• Laughter and play are important even when you're a grownup

Lessons I hope to teach Maddox:

• Reading opens up your mind and your heart and also opens up a whole world to you
• You can change the world by even the small things that you do - smiling at someone, singing a song, reading a book, saying thank you....
• It's important to stay true to yourself, to live an authentic life
• People may forget what you said or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel
• Being active is important for you and those who love you, take care of your body
• Be willing to challenge yourself physically and mentally
• Imagination is where dreams begin
• Be bold
• Treat others the way you would like to be treated
• Learning continues over your entire lifetime, be willing to be both a teacher and a student