"Will you watch me?"

I have the privilege of claiming quite a few young children as family. One, my sister, has passed the age of cute comments through ignorance and passed into the age of cute comments through intelligence. What an amazing change for us all!

But luckily, I still get the joy of hearing the twittering little voices of my cousins Landon and Jared as well as my cousin Kristen's children, Julian and Jaden. Four little boys, four different perspectives on the world.

Jaden, 2, recently showed me something he was holding. I said, "Is that a gameboy?" and he said, "Sí!" I took this as proof that Dora the Explorer has some worth as a children's show.

Julian, 4, and always the helper, showed me where the vacuum was the other day and kindly pointed out how it worked and then looked at me pointedly and said, "And this is the tord. You have to plug it in." Thank you dear.

But yesterday, I got to spend some time with Landon and Jared who are 7 and unfortunately live in Washington (aka, too far away). One thing stuck out: "Will you watch me?" What is it about the child's heart and mind that desires someone to watch them? I watched Jared flip, twist, turn, jump, wiggle and squirm up trees, on mats, while dancing and while simply standing on his own two feet!

Landon, on the other hand, wanted me to simply watch him play computer games. He dragged me to his room and showed me how to turn on his computer and then he sat down at the keyboard. He looked at me and said, "You see this button?" (he pointed to the 'ctrl' key). I nodded and he said, "You can push that when I tell you to." So, as he played Oklahoma Cuke (a really adorable Veggietales game) I was given the great opportunity to occasionally help rope the bad guys (who are, incidentally peas and monkeys) upon a quick nod or "PUSH IT" from my little Landon.

That feeling, wanting someone to simply watch you do something you're proud of, never goes away. We learn to control it because we're so afraid of being considered arrogant. But I don't think it's arrogant to share our gifts and talents, whether they are as great as writing, singing, playing a sport or as small as simply being a rockin' Oklahoma Cuke gamer, climbing a tree, or planting a garden.

We are just as special, unique and in need of assurance as we were when we were children. So, let's encourage each other and love one another for the unique gifts we possess. So, I will watch you, will you watch me?