Laughing.

Have you ever tried to do something coordinated while laughing? Laughing tends to make the task nearly impossible. Poor Samuel has figured this out...or I guess I should say, his mother has figured this out.

You know how you teach kids how to walk: You set them a couple steps away from you and then make them come to you. Well, Samuel thinks it is soooooo funny that he laughs so hard it turns him drunk. He wobbles, he tips and his legs just won't hold him up, and all the while he is giggling like the silliest baby in the world. Which then makes you laugh, which in turn makes Samuel laugh so hard that you have to stop just so you don't suffocate your baby while trying to get him to walk. Although, I will say it is beyond cute to see his floppy, shivering frame convulsing in laughter while you futilely try to get him to stand back up. And it only makes it worse when James tries to help. We all end up laughing so hard we can't do anything.

I see a parallel here: When you know that someone is going to catch you, you can enjoy the fall. God is always there holding his hands out in case we need him, and if we can remember that we can enjoy learning how to walk through this life.

Lately Samuel has started taking a couple of steps away from the furniture, before collapsing. And if he sees me noticing, he has to come over and drape himself over my knees to finish his giggle. He can actually walk those few steps by himself. So he is learning how to walk! Eventually he will start to walk and I hope that we can then find something else to giggle over - because enjoying this world with my sweet family is the most amazing thing I have ever done.