For just over a week now, I have been helping get a five year old ready in morning then taking her to Kindergarten. On the first day, she exemplified how to do what I am trying to learn through my New Year's Resolution. Even though she had never met me, she was so excited about asking me questions, sharing her toys, and telling me about her entire life. Children seem to have an innate ability to feel comfortable in new situations. I find that when I am put into new settings I feel self-conscious and unsure. I don't what causes this transition, but I know that in order to be successful at my resolution, I will need to take on this same openness that children exhibit.
Another lesson that I have learned in this last week is that looks don't matter if you don't think they matter. Even though her grandmother tried to tell her that a red shirt and purple sweatpants don't match, she went to school wearing just that because that is what she wanted to wear. Later in the week, she wanted me to put three braided pigtails in her hair. I really didn't want to do it, since the teach would wonder who could send a kid to school with their hair so crazy. I was able to convince her that three braids would not look very good. The next day she asked again, and I started trying to persuade her to let me do two pigtails like the day before. Then she said to me, "Can you just put three pigtails, even if it looks bad". That statement hit me. Why am I trying to convince this young girl that she needs to care about what others think about how she looks? Society already shouts this message about the importance of appearance, which is directed especially at women, loud and clear. I am a firm believer that confidence outshines any piece of clothing, jewelry, or hairstyle. So in order to nurture her current mindset with the hope that it continues into later years, I sent her to school with three braided pigtails.
I have learned so much in just over a week, and I think that I will be so many more lessons in the upcoming weeks and months. While meeting new people for my resolution, I thought that they would impart wisdom about life. Who knew that one of these people would be 5 years old? It just goes to show that wisdom is not determined by age.
