And then we come to the child’s greatest defense.
After 24 hours of yelling and crying and being an overall stink, they stand in the middle of the room on the ottoman, swaying their hips back and forth, singing in toddlerspeak “raining drops keeping falling down me head.” Then they giggle, throw themselves at you, and whisper, “cuddle me please.”
And that’s where they have it. That is why they have the upper hand. That is why we give all that we have and then we wake up and give it all again and will continue to do so until they one day get out of bed and say they need to fly.
Because children are the best of us. They are the parts that are pure and holy and innocent. They show us a glimpse of what we all maybe could have been if only. They are joy.
So when your kid makes a mess today and hits her sister and spills milk all over the dog and draws a self portrait on the wall, just remember that tomorrow will come and then you will see the beauty in this crazy life once more.
They say non parents are happier than parents. I don’t know if that’s true or not. But what I do know is that no other gift can bring the joy that a child can. Messes and all.