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How My Neighbor’s 3-Year-Old Taught Me To Deal With Failure
Spending time with children can be a lesson and a privilege.
Spending time with Ruhan — my neighbor’s chirpy, vivacious three-year-old — is the highlight of my day.
Not only does he call me “Ana aunty” in his cute baby voice, but he also asks these insanely insightful questions that often leave me fumbling for answers.
The most interesting lesson I’ve learned from him is how he deals with failure.
Earlier today, when I was busy playing with him, Ruhan was trying to build something out of his lego blocks. I asked him what he was building. “Airport,” he told me.
His enthusiasm was contagious. I found myself following his instructions — handing him the color blocks he asked for and trying to balance the structure, precarious as it was.
Our airport was almost two feet high when the whole structure toppled. I made a sad face. But Ruhan only giggled, his eyes lighting up with happiness. It’s hard to see an adult’s face light up like that, but his did — with pure, unadulterated joy.
He wasn’t sad at all.
Instead, he started picking up the blocks with his tiny fingers and assembling them together again. I noticed he placed it…
