I just returned from a trip where I met my cousin’s 3-year old daughter Zia for the first time. Upon my arrival the family gathered for dinner at a local restaurant and while we were all busy chatting Zia raised her hands up in the air and called out “highlights.”
Highlights? With the exception of her parents, the adults at the table pondered “what are highlights?”
It turns out that every night at dinner time, Zia and her parents each share the highlights of their day. What a wonderful tradition to instill in a child at a young age. And, it’s obviously become one that Zia loves to participate in and wanted to share with her relatives.
In most cases, Zia’s highlights described those things that happened throughout her day. As we went around the table it became clear that highlights were strongly related to the things we are grateful for. And, while she listened to others express their highlights, Zia inevitably chimed in with “that was going to be my highlight too.”
Far be it from anyone around the table to deny her the opportunity to share in their highlight. She brought sheer joy and smiles to each of our faces as well as made us feel more closely connected. Not to mention, she got us all thinking – thinking about our day and what brought us joy.
From being grateful that family was gathered together to acknowledging that the best part of her day was picking worms in the garden with her cousin, Zia opened our eyes to looking at the little things in life. She taught us the value of taking time each day to reflect on what we’ve done and express our highlights.
Leave it to an adorable 3-year old to teach grown ups about gratitude. Thank you Zia. Have you learned anything from a 3-year old in your life?
What were the highlights of your day today? Please share them in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you.
