"Why?"
"What's that?"
"How come?"
"Who's [th]at?"
"But, why?"
... And so it goes with toddlers.
I've had the conversations myself. I'm sure you have, as well. Energetic little people, full of wonder and excited over things you and I might consider mundane -- if we consider them at all.
A shoelace begets a question, which begets another, and so on. In some instances, the endless questions (or a stern glance from some annoyed adult nearby) brings the wonder to an end with yelling, and the attention shifts elsewhere. Or, perhaps the little tyke is the center of attention at all times, causing parents to alienate themselves from everyone except other people just as enamored with their kid as they are. But thankfully, the majority of child-rearing (parents, grand-parents, etc) brings a healthy balance to the small child's attempts at assimilating the surroundings: immediate answers and delayed gratification dance harmoniously. And so it is with good friends in lands with unfamiliar languages.
A realization came to me this past weekend, one toddlers aren't able to understand: I've just asked one question too many. It was a good feeling, the awareness of a patient wife and friends reminding me (for the 'umpteenth' time) of the Spanish term for remember, or carrot or some such thing. If toddlers could form words to their thoughts or feelings, I imagine they would be saying the following to us: "This is so frustrating! I know I know this, but for the life of me can't say it -- let alone remember it." Or simply, "I don't have the words!!!"
Or, perhaps, the most commonly known phrase, "Waaahhh!" followed by a long nap.
Studies have shown the following to be true: when learning a new language, one should add two hours of sleep per night, as well as a nap along the way. Of course, I gave a nod of intellectual assent to this information at the time. As a trip to Santiago for groceries ended this past Saturday night, my 41 year-old brain needed a break from the sensory overload it was experiencing. My 41 year-old body had also needed a good nap about 6 hours prior to this realization. Having been in the DR now for just under two weeks, my body and brain now both humbly bow in submission with that initial figurative nod.
I asked a question as we pulled into our friend's drive: "What do you say to a toddler to get them to settle down at night?" I was met with the most obvious answer possible. "Shh..." As is the case with any toddler trying to learn to communicate with those around, I needed to be told to wind down -- I was exhausting everyone, including myself. I'm thankful that as an adult, I didn't need a 'pau-pau' as it's called here in the DR -- that tap on the bottom to get my attention. I'm thankful that I can hear words and understand them. But more than that, respond with words of my own.
It's frustrating being a toddler. I honestly don't remember that portion of my life, but I'm sure it was. I'm thankful for friends who help me take on this new way of talking. I'm thankful for a wife who lets me spread my wings and then gently listens as I cry in her arms after an especially draining day -- just like a good auntie or mother would do. I have been blessed with a truly good wife.
But I'm most thankful for a God who would humble Himself and enter my world as a baby. To think Jesus threw tantrums and needed naps (dare I say, a pau-pau??) is one of the more simple stretches of the imagination I can think of. But to think otherwise would be to deny Scripture.
As exhausted as this 41 year-old toddler is, I can't imagine what an infinite God-turned-toddler must have been feeling. And that suits me just fine. Because I know He knows what I'm going through.
And He smiles.
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