Simple Pleasures

Today I was thinking about just how much more enjoyable parenting is when everyone speaks the same language. I realize the boys have grown a lot from when they first came home (just 2 months shy of their 3rd birthday), but having communication just makes life easier and better.

Noah is our off-the-charts extrovert, so his acquisition of language has come quickly because he needs to communicate. He also says just about everything he is thinking. If he's excited about something, he's going to share it with you. This morning he was thrilled about the ability to dip his waffle into a puddle of syrup on his plate. The waffle already had syrup on it, but he was just so excited to be able to add more from the excess on his plate. A little over a year ago he couldn't have communicated that. And 20 months ago, he didn't know what a waffle or syrup were.

And there are so many simple pleasures that Noah and Samuel enjoy... and it brings me pleasure seeing them enjoy them. Samuel loves to have a toy (or two) in his pocket - at ALL times. He doesn't necessarily play with it or even hold it... just a little something to have with him. Often it's a long lego or a part to a toy. If it's in his hand, he is probably flying it around because he flies everything around. Everything.

When we read books at bedtime, the boys like to close the book. It's really important to them. And lately they are really into putting their dishes in the sink. Noah gets offended if you flush the toilet for him. They enjoy taking turns turning off the TV or pushing buttons for automatic doors (and yes, we use them, even if I don't have the stroller because the boys love pushing the button). They are both such big helpers and are so proud to be a help.

I can't help but think about all the simple pleasures they didn't have in Haiti. What we consider to be simple pleasures here in the US are things that generally don't exist in Haiti. And post-earthquake Haiti means that life is even harder than before. Unimaginably harder. Tonight, a simple pleasure for a Haitian will be to sleep without getting wet, since so many are sleeping outside of their homes; or they no longer have a home.

It's a fine line for me between indulging my kids and keeping indulgences to a minimum. In the US we tend to need a lot of stuff. The truth is that most of what we need is totally an extravagance to most of the world. I struggle with having nice things. This morning I caught myself "needing" some new shirts. Some new shirts would be nice, but I don't need them.

And so I struggle... wanting my kids to enjoy those simple pleasures, and even not-so-simple pleasures, but also wanting them to have an awareness of what we really need. And honestly, most of these thoughts wouldn't even swirl in my mind if I hadn't visited Haiti. When you see poverty like that, when you get to know real people who live such a different life, when you see the hardship that is met with joy, well... you are changed. And I think it is for the better. It is for me, anyway.