If there’s one thing that the world needs more of, it’s joy. There are lots of places I’ve seen and experienced joy, and one of them…is Peter eating.
He’s the first one to the table for every meal, always asks for seconds, and it’s rare–RARE–that I serve him something that he doesn’t like.
There seems to be a correlation between how messy Peter is by the end of his meal to how much he enjoyed the food.
Sure, we could feed him one spoonful at a time, but part of his enjoyment is being able to do it himself. I don’t think it’s so much the tactile experience that he likes, but the fact that he can feed himself quickly.
Because, boy oh boy, if he doesn’t get his food when he wants it, he’s going to be sure everybody knows and corrects it as soon as humanly possible.
Of course, all the food needs to be washed down with some water or milk. He drinks with as much gusto as he eats and sometimes, I wonder if he’s going to drown himself before he comes up for air.
That’s doubly true if he’d drinking double-fisted.
Since eating makes Peter so happy, he sometimes trades sleep for food. We have spent many early mornings enjoying breakfast together while everyone else is asleep.
Even though eating does outrank sleep, sometimes, his early mornings catch up with him and halfway through lunch, he’s sleeping with his face on his plate.
Though he can’t combine sleeping and eating successfully, he sure can combine his love of being outside and eating. He’ll wander over to the raspberries or get himself lost in the strawberries, he’ll tastetest the tomatoes, or if the garage door gets left open, he’ll help himself to whatever the cats are having.
Plus, Peter is never above performing tricks for more food. He can make anyone laugh with his antics, and is willing to try just about anything.
The lesson I’ve really learned from Peter is that even the simple pleasures in life can bring us happiness if we learn to treat them with appreciation and eagerness. From the mouth of babes…or rather, into them.
