My nephew, Nathan, who is now about 16 months old, is finally learning how to be mischievous.
Wednesday, I received a text message from my sister, who stated that after she told Nate to sit down, he shook his head no, smiled and ran off.
While I do want him to listen to his parents and other authority figures, it brings a smile to my face to hear these funny stories.
Nate reminds me of a former student of mine, Mr. Brown. I was his teacher for about four years, from the time he was just a few months old.
I remember teaching him how to walk and, boy, he did not like the daily leg exercises and our twice-a-day walks around the playground while I held his hand.
I’ve never been more proud as I was the day he walked on his own.
We became fast friends. However, this toddler had a mischievous streak. He was not a disobedient child by any means; he was an intelligent boy who liked to see how far he could push boundaries.
Even though I would sometimes have to get on to him, which was very rare, I secretly laughed at his antics, like I do now with Nate.
However, like Nate, he had this amazingly sweet side. After naptime, he always liked to snuggle with me and share what was on his mind.
He is still a loveable child, always giving away hugs, kisses and shows off that bright smile to everyone.
My relationship with Mr. Brown still is very special and I look forward to having that with Nate.
The relationships we build with our sons, daughters, nieces, nephews and even our little students are so important, perhaps more so for the adults.
I learned so much from teaching my little pupils, like how to enjoy the simple moments, that singing and dancing are always fun and, most importantly, how to love.
Building a loving foundation at an early age is one of the greatest gifts we can give the younger generations.