Toddlers look at the world differently, every small discovery, no matter how mundane, is exciting to them. My fourteen-month-old daughter is a case in point: she finds joy in all sorts of situations that most adults would see as ordinary, even boring. “Oooooo” she exclaims when we open her bedroom curtains in the morning, “ahhhhh” when discovering a man-hole cover on our walk to the corner shop and she squeals with delight at the bubbles in her bathtub come evening. Even the 6pm news on the radio is a source of pleasure: she has just discovered what is means to dance and the Big Ben bongs are apparently the perfect opportunity to get her groove on.
It seems to me that this topsy-turvy way of looking at life has something to say to us all. Not only does it serve to remind us to be grateful for the many of things to enjoy all around us, but also it speaks of the transformative truth at heart of our faith: that humble shall be lifted high, as we sing in the Magnificat. Perhaps this is part of what Jesus meant when he instructs us to become like little children, that we will only find true joy if we are willing to look for it and humble enough to receive it.
Frances Stratton
