How Two Pieces of Advice Changed My Life for the Better

The best advice I ever got was in high school from my friend Sarah. I was your basic love-struck Romeo and was mired in a fog about this one particular girl and Sarah told me, "If you like her, show her." Now, as often happens with good advice, the recipient of said wisdom (me) did not take it fully to heart.

But there's a happy ending to this story. About 13 years later, I finally heeded that advice. And today I'm married to that girl and we have two beautiful children.

This brings me to the second best piece of advice I ever received, which came while I was in the hospital shortly after my son was born. I'm not sure if it was due to the no sleep, "Oh my God, how am I going to be a father" look I had on my face or the special bracelet I had on my wrist, but an older woman started chatting with me and asked if this was my first child.

When I told her that, indeed, it was, she told me to enjoy every minute of it and not wish any of it to go faster to get to a better time. She went on to say that so many people will tell you how better it is when your children sleep through the night, but not to wish that first part away.

She also added that there would be other times like that, too, and the best thing was to take it all in and enjoy everything.

Unlike Sarah's advice, I immediately applied this unknown woman's counsel. Now, people close to me will undoubtedly say that I've bitched and moaned about neither of my children being good sleepers. And I have. But I like to think that I've also drunk in every possible moment of their childhood so far.

Like any parent, I've had instances where my children give me moments which make me wonder how old they really are. These take on many forms. It can be a phrase or a thought process or even a simple look.

My son loves to learn new words and takes great delight in using them as often as possible, each time getting closer and closer to the real meaning of the phrase. The latest of these is the word naïve.

He wants so much to needle me with the word (can't imagine where he got that from) that he uses it every chance he gets. And while out loud I'm hearing from him how my every action is naïve, internally I'm thinking how all of the relatives who have spent time with him and helped teach him have done such a wonderful job.

I guess I am just naively proud.

And the girl who just turned two is not going to be ignored in this, or any other matter. Whether it's telling a knock-knock joke or reciting nursery rhymes or parading around the house with a Santa Claus hat on and nothing else, she's waiting for the payoff.

Like Milton Berle standing on stage smoking his cigar until he received the proper applause for one of his jokes, the girl is not letting the moment go until you acknowledge her cuteness.

And just in case you think she's a girly-girl, this is the same child who demands to wear Batman pajamas and who has no problem pushing older kids who try to bully her on the playground.

My wife thinks the kids are growing up too fast, but I think they're progressing at just the right rate.

I guess that's what happens when you are naïve enough to follow your heart and smart enough to follow good advice.