Optimism of a Child

This past weekend was bizzy with an extra izzy.  My adorable 7-year old niece, Jayla, had been asking to have a sleepover for months and I promised her the next time Uncle Keith went out of town, and I could give her my full attention, we’d have a sleepover.

Well, our sleepover date officially began Friday night.  Due to other commitments, I wasn’t able to pick her up until 9:30pm and before I arrived my sister told me on the phone that Jayla was lobbying to be able to sleepover two nights instead of one.  Oh boy!  I LOVE my beautiful niece but when I tell you she has all the energy in the world bottled into her little 3′ body, I’m not kidding.

But since I’m Auntie Fawn, like to spoil her a bit and don’t like to say no unless the request is unreasonable, my work plans for the weekend were now being modified and it would be a Nick Jr. and Disney kind of weekend.

Friday night, we stayed up until 11pm watching Mary Poppins and eating microwave-popped kettle corn.  I then slept in small corner of our California king-sized bed because Jayla and her 5 stuffed animals took up the rest.  By 8am Saturday morning, we were up and headed to the International House Of Pancakes where Jayla decided bouncing up and down on the booth seat no less than 25 times was fun (all the while Auntie Fawn was getting incredibly dizzy watching). 

Saturdays are usual “pajama day” at Jayla’s house where she and my sister make a day of lounging in pj’s all day.  Well, we couldn’t stop the tradition so even though we were going out, I let her keep her new Hello Kitty pajama pants on (shhhh…).  There were kids still walking around in their Halloween costumes so why couldn’t she wear her comfy pajama pants all day? 

From IHOP, we went home and finished watching the rest of the movie we fell asleep watching the night before.  As soon as the end credits began to roll, we were on our way to the Long Beach Aquarium where we’d experience 800,000 sq. ft of exhibits, including a large shark tank, a place to touch stingrays, jelly fish and starfish and more marine life than I’ve seen in my entire 35 years of living.

For lunch, Jayla’s choice was Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. where we only had 30 minutes to order, eat and pay so we could get back to the aquarium before the sea lion show.  Whew, we made it in time to get seats for the show, followed by a sea otter show, followed by two more shows.  And did I tell you the aquarium was 800,000 sq. ft and we walked around that place all day?  We stayed until the aquarium was about to close and by the time we left I was ready to pass out.

We made the hour drive back home and once we arrived, Keith’s folks were there (thank goodness) so I could get some work done while Mom Scott kept Jayla company.  While working, I could hear Jayla laughing, playing, running around and joking nonstop.  Beginning at 10pm, I’d yell out to Jayla, “Sweetie, I need to you begin winding down.”  Of course, she’d say okay and would calm down significantly and then 15 minutes later she’d completely forget the request and return to her usual bouncing self.

At midnight, she turns to Mom Scott and says, “It’s midnight so I think I’d better start winding down.”  I love this kid!  Two hours after my initial request but, nonetheless, she finally decided it was time.

I’d told Jayla with adding the extra sleepover day she’d have to share me with work and would need to play without me Saturday night and a portion of Sunday to which she was (as she always is) perfectly fine.  Sunday morning, she woke up to find me back at work on my computer, gave me a hug and headed straight into the family room to watch cartoons.

Day two started off with me making breakfast followed by the world’s longest shower by a child.  She sang at the top of her lungs, snapped her fingers and danced for what seemed like 15 minutes.  I was just hoping there’d still be enough hot water for me.  After showering,  our day got a little crazy.  Read here to find out why I had to suddenly hop on a flight to Vegas and drive back to Los Angeles at midnight after being in Vegas for only 30 minutes. Whew!  The word “tired” could not begin to accurately express what I felt by the time my head hit the pillow at 4:30am yesterday morning.  But I wouldn’t trade my time with Jayla for anything in the world for one simple reason: I need her.

Spending time with Jayla always reminds me of how I was before I let the world in to the core of my being.  Before I allowed hurt, disappointment, worry or “realism” to affect my natural optimism.  Jayla represents to me the life I strive to return to, one that is dictated by my heart’s desires rather than what I think can or should be accomplished.

Have you ever met a child and thought, “Wow, that’s exactly the way children should be,” without worry, concern and always optimistic about the day”?  Even if things don’t go perfectly as planned or desired, they look at that as a temporary setback and continue to move toward what it is they desire to get out of that day.  They haven’t yet learned to doubt themselves, to be suspicious of the motives of people.  In other words, they’ve not yet been jaded.

I look at Jayla and think that’s exactly the way God would like me to be with Him.  To ask for whatever I desire and if He says no, to simply be okay with it and move on to the next desire trusting that the reason I heard “no” to begin with was in my best interest.  When I tell Jayla no about something, she never whines or cries about it, she simply finds something else to ask me about that’ll result in a “yes” response.  And it works every time.

If she has a momentary setback, it doesn’t define the remainder of the day. It’ll barely define the following ten minutes.  A smile remains on her face and when someone is really nice to her she’ll tell me, “People are so nice!  When you’re nice to people they’re always nice to you back.”  Touché

She is genuine.  She is authentic.  She is optimistic, gentle in her words and kind in her approach toward people.  She never feels entitled and is grateful for everything she receives.  She has full faith and trust in her father. 

That is exactly what I desire for my own life and strive toward it each day.  To be kind, gentle, genuine, authentic and optimistic.  To give my all to whatever I do completely unconcerned about whether I fail or succeed knowing any place I fall short of an overall goal is simply a momentary setback.  To have complete trust in God, my heavenly Father, and to love unconditionally. 

I may have been utterly exhausted from this active weekend but it was all worth it.  I wouldn’t change this weekend for even a second.  So as I continue to progress in this blessed week, I have one goal and one goal only: to be just like my seven-year old niece. 

Until tomorrow…make it a great day!