Adults can learn the excitement of discovery from children. As a mother of a son who is almost 8 months old, I am constantly amazed by his amazement. He wants to put every object within and beyond his reach in his mouth, but it's his desire to obtain that object that delights me. When learning to crawl, he struggled as babies do, but he continued until he perfected it. When learning to pull himself up, he fell countless times, but now he does it in one move. Then he turns to my husband or me to insure we saw him do it. And he smiles that beautiful smile that only infants have.

Transitioning from a bottle to a "sippy cup" is still challenging for him. However, his eyes light up every time he tastes the formula that he successfully manages to get in his mouth. Every new vegetable and fruit he consumes is another discovery for him. The adventure always begins with a grimace as he smacks his lips to savor the flavor. It then becomes a grin followed by "Mmmmm."

Discovering new things is an involuntary constant for children. Adults can become complacent with the monotony of everyday life. I have been fortunate to learn from my child that the world is filled with new and exciting things. I recently discovered that "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and the "ABC Song" have the exact same melody. Many people may be aware of this, but I wasn't until I found myself singing the songs aloud from one of his toys. Did you know? I also realized that my memory of popular lullabies and children's songs is not that great. I am learning them all over again.

When is the last time you discovered something new? One only needs to take a moment and sit on the floor and play with a child, read them a bedtime story, or take them to Chuck E. Cheese's on a Saturday to experience it.

Learn more about this author, Kimberly H. Smith.
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