Beautiful Heart

Fridays are typically our environmental days, a time when we clean our chairs and toys. On this particular day, I noticed B.E, one of the children, watching me clean the chairs with a look of fascination. Sensing her curiosity, I invited her to join me. After cleaning a few chairs, her gaze fell upon the window, and I nodded, affirming that she could help clean that as well.

After reaching as high as she could to clean the lower part of the window, B.E decided to kneel on a chair to reach higher. Seeing her look back at me for a reaction, I gave her a smile and thanked her for her diligence. I gently told her, "Thanks for your help, B. E. The window is so clean now. You can just clean the bottom part. I will clean the top part. Please don't stand on the chair, as the younger ones might copy you, and we don't want them to risk falling and getting hurt." B.E showed immense respect for my words and immediately came down from the chair.

Then, she headed over to the drawing table and picked up a pencil. Hiding it behind her back with a cheeky grin, she made her way back towards the window. I played along, pretending not to see the pencil concealed behind her. My curiosity was piqued, wondering what creative solution she had devised.

Then, it happened. B.E wrapped one end of the pencil with a flannel, effectively extending her reach, and proceeded to clean the top part of the window. The sight was so moving that I felt a lump forming in my throat. On one hand, I was astounded by her resourcefulness in problem-solving. On the other hand, it made me reflect on how often we, as adults, might misinterpret a child's intent in their pursuit of learning and exploration due to our preconditioned assumptions.

If I hadn't paused and curiously waited to see why B.E was hiding a pencil, I might have stopped her, wrongly assuming she planned to draw on the window. This situation served as a gentle reminder for us as caregivers to hold back our assumptions, pause, and ask questions before interfering with a child's process of exploration. There are times when we, as adults, inadvertently place barriers rather than build bridges in a child's voyage of learning and discovery. This instance with B.E was a profound reminder of that, a lesson sketched in heartwarming hues of innocence and ingenuity.

My heartfelt gratitude is extended towards my cherished B.E for gracing me with the privilege to be a part of her priceless journey. Her vibrant spirit and innovative mind have blessed me with windows into a world unseen, an opportunity to unlearn, to unravel the threads of preconceived notions and weave them anew.

Her actions have offered a gentle yet poignant reminder of the necessity to still our assumptions, to steep ourselves in patience and curiosity before we allow our adult predispositions to overshadow a child's explorative ingenuity.

It's in these humbling moments that I find my own understanding deepening, my perspectives purified, like a stream cleared by the earnest hands of a child. These are the instances where I realize that we're not just teaching them, but also learning from them, the lessons that keep the essence of our humanity alive.

To my beautiful B.E, thank you for gifting me such an enlightening experience, for nudging open the doors of my mind, and for guiding me, with your unfiltered creativity and joy, along the rewarding path of conscious learning and growth.

Marie 24 Jul 2023