everything

When you hang out with a one-year-old you celebrate everything. 

Riley Claire on her first birthday.
May 12, 2013.

She takes one step or five and the entire room bursts in to "Yay!" 

She pushes a button on one of her toys and it starts to sing, so she bursts in to applause, delighted with her achievement and that of the toy. 

She uses sign language to tell you she wants a drink. "Good girl," you praise. When she signs "more" followed by "drink" you are over the top amazed that she has just put together a phrase. 

She jabbers nonstop and you love the sounds that she creates. 

She says "uh oh" and you start dropping things on purpose just so she'll say it. 

She waves "hi" and "bye" and it is the cutest thing you have ever seen. 

Her parents go to a movie and leave you home alone with her for two hours and you are thrilled to have her all to yourself. 

When do we stop embracing every moment as an achievement, a thing to be prized, simply for its existence? And why? We are life-long learners, so it's not as if we stop having reasons to be delighted by ourselves, our surroundings, and life itself. Everyday comes with newness and joy, challenges and opportunities, big and little moments to embrace.

EMBRACE EVERYTHING.

Everything deserves applause and shouts of "Yay!"