Daddy - I am full of energy...

Just about every other day my daughter will say something that is truer than she knows. Like most children she is full of energy and doesn't want to stop. In Portuguese we say "Ela e' electrica" (She is electric or She is like electricity).

Last week as Stela was eating her lunch, just out of the blue, she said "Daddy, I am full of energy", as to tell me something I didn't know. :) I often tell friends and relatives that when I sit and ponder having another child I only need is a few minutes before the thought takes a detour. When I think about how much is required of me now (with only 1 child) and multiply that by another factor (2 children) - my thoughts turn to "Thank you God for being able to love one"... I have great respect for those who have multiple children and are able to love and care for all as they would one.

Stela brings us daily struggles and probably teaches us more about patience, kindness, good manners and selflessness than we teach her. Now that I am a parent, I just can't imagine what life would be like at this stage in life (my wife and I) without having a bundle of joy and daily surprises. Like it has been put so well, "Children are gifts from above.".

Here are a few quotes from people I respect:

My late 70 year old neighbor: Children are so full of innocence and joy because their minds aren't filled with garbage yet. What I find amazing is how true this is.

A good friend: Sometimes I stand in awe of children. He was referring to a child's ability to understand complex things like "the nature of God" or "the difference between right and wrong". Our conversation was based on that the mind of children (we both have girls less than 5) is able to look at complex problems and somehow extract truth.

I often feel children are more than offspring... Maybe more like a reminder of how simple life could or should be... Or how easy it should be to forgive... Or to really not worry so much about things in life, but to be free and careless (in a loving and humane way)...