September 21, 2011
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Learning How to Smile
Last week during Korea’s Thanksgiving Sky and I visited her relatives outside of Seoul. It was my first time with my new extended family. Her cousin and his wife were their with their newborn baby, about three months old. Each of the relatives took time to hold her and they commented on how the baby doesn’t smile. I eventually got a turn to hold her and I smiled, spoke, and yes cooed at her. I did the baby talk that most serious people would never do. And how did the baby respond? She cooed back. And she started to try and smile. You could see the corners of her lips starting to move and those muscles waking up as she cooed back. Needless to say, some Sky’s relatives were surprised by how the baby was responding to me.
I shared with Sky how you have to teach a baby how to smile. It goes on the same line as, “We love because God first loved us” (1John 4:19). Without someone demonstrating joy to us, it is hard for us to know how to be joyful. Without seeing some goofiness in our lives, we will never know how to act goofy. I used to wonder when I was younger why parents would act so silly in front of babies and suddenly resort to “baby talk.” But as I’ve taken care of kids over the years I’ve learned just how powerful demonstrating joy, fun, and goofiness is to them. I love being with my kids and humming silly, made-up tunes while smiling and them laughing at me, and then later overhearing them humming the same silly tune in their rooms.
Release joy in those around you.
God bless!
