Learning From My Kid

Last Friday, I took off work to babysit Vương because my mother-in-law was out of town. We had to leave the house so that my wife could focus on her work. I didn’t have any plans so I ended up taking him to my office to meet my coworkers for the first time.

He walked into each office, stopped, smiled at my coworkers, and walked back out. We finished the tour in half an hour. I took him to Eden Center and we shared a bowl of pig’s offals congee (cháo lòng). After lunch I didn’t know where to take him so we just went for a walk.

Ever since Vương learned to walk, he loved walking all by himself. Observing him walk has been my joy and my fascination. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he roamed freely like a prisoner just got out of his cell. He simply walked without looking where he was headed, but he was aware of the space around him. Then he stopped, stood still, and looked up. He contemplated for a minute to decide if he should keep going forward or backward. Then he continued his journey without any purpose.

As I was adoring and admiring him, I wished I could just walk like him without looking into the near future. I wished I was not afraid to take risks. If I fall I will get up again just like him. I was amazed how a fifteen-month kid could teach me a lesson in life.