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I never thought I will have the chance to write something like this again. If you read my blog for some time, you may remember my “7 things I learned from my daughter” series. But that happened almost 2 decades ago, Bianca is now in college.
And yet, here I am, a (happy) dad at 55, celebrating his third child – a smart, healthy and beautiful boy called Rovi – first birthday today.
Here are 7 things Rovi taught be in the last 365 days.
1. Falling Down Is Temporary, Getting Up Every Time Is What Matters
A couple of months ago he started to walk. Or, to be more precise, he started to fall down every time he tried to get up. But he never stopped trying to get up, again and again and again. It was like he knew falling down is part of the lesson. It’s the getting up that really counts.
2. If You Really Want Something, Don’t Stop Until You Get It
When he is hungry or he wants something, he doesn’t stop until he gets it. Like, literally. He will not stop until he gets what he wants. I hope that later in life, this instinctual attitude will ripple into a character trait that will make him persistent, disciplined and loyal. And I’m really happy about that.
3. Smiling Is Underrated
He smiles all the time, to anyone, anytime. That made me understand that sometimes the burden of life pushed me away, and I forgot how smiling can change my mood, and the mood of people around me, in a second. It doesn’t cost anything, either.
4. Sleeping Is A Superpower
Rovi can sleep anytime, anywhere. That’s a true superpower and I hope he will maintain this for all his life. I really wish I could have this. Especially now, when sleep has been scarce.
5. If You Don’t Like It, Just Ignore It
As a child, he gets a lot of attention, from all kind of people. Not all of them are nice, but Rovi has this way of just ignoring them. He simply cut them from his reality, he suddenly stops looking at them, it’s like they never existed. That’s another superpower I hope he will maintain for all his life.
6. Attachment Is Poison
He may cry now, but then in one second he can laugh again. He doesn’t get attached to his emotions, he just fully immerses himself in them, living in the moment. Too often I forget this, insisting on my grudges, because they give me a reason to complain, or clinging too much to my pleasures, hoping they’ll last longer. Nope. Not gonna happen. Attachment is poison. Everything that matters is right here, right now, in this very moment.
7. There’s Always A Way
As he is starting to explore his surroundings, he encounters every day new types of obstacles. Today is the couch, tomorrow it may be a chair, and the other day the bedroom door. He almost never gets it from the first time, but, in the end, he always gets it. He always finds a way to conquer that obstacle. It’s not about not giving up, it’s about knowing, deep down, that there is always a way to get something. You may not getting from the first try – and, honestly, he doesn’t even look like he expects this – but in the end, if you stay long enough with that problem, you will find a way to solve it.
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