Small for his age and a little man of little words, he speaks through his actions and leaves us to catch upon his daily lessons. Like many great teachers, they impart some form of knowledge and it is only when we are ready to accept it that we are able to truly free our minds and learn. Otherwise we would probably just end up like school syllabus of spoon feeding that students don't need to understand what they are taught. Just digest and regurgitate. Knowledge should be precious. Where only those who are truly ready can comprehend the simplicity of it.
This brings about the image of people trying to seek enlightenment and would scale ridiculous mountains and cut themselves through thick foliage to meet some "wise" man up upon the mountain of knowledge and hear him impart just a few words for that person to ponder and act upon. Come to think of it maybe its not the content of those words that are truly precious, but because the journey was so difficult to get there and so humbling to admit one is in thirst of knowledge that even whatever scraps of wisdom would expand itself into an explosive expression of enlightenment.
Bringing little Ezra to the playground, I cannot help but be amaze at his actions and inactions.
Lesson 1: Look Before You Leap
For a kid who just loves the slide and cannot stop him from ascending the slope more happily than the descent....he can keep perfectly still to look around and make sure he knows what he is up against before joining in the foray of childhood madness that grace all tiny playgrounds.
Gives thought how as adults we don't spend enough time to assess and evaluate before we jump into conclusions or actions. Even in an age of fast decisions and digital speed, we should still take a moment to look around and decide before taking that leap.
On the other extreme, we adults sometimes take that leap too fast and frequently make multiple changes hoping from one decision to other on a singular issue. Sometimes even mimicking the leadership of a headless chicken in a leap-frog decision style (more of hopping multi-directional rather than the common meaning of being ahead of competition)
Lesson 2: Love Is All Around
Love is a 2-way process. One gives and the other reciprocates by receiving. Receiving a random hug may be a little shocking for little Ezra but reciprocating doesn't mean he has to hug back. Even just receiving it gracefully and not pushing the hugging party away is a sign of love in its innocence.
Now I wonder what will he be teaching me today.....
"Seek and you shall find; Even the young can enrich your mind"
