We had friends over today with their daughter who is approaching her first birthday. Watching her navigate our living room was a reminder of how fascinating children are at this particular stage of development. She moved with the determined uncertainty of someone who has figured out crawling but is still working on the mechanics of walking. Every few minutes she would pull herself up against the couch or coffee table, test her balance for a moment, then lower herself back down to continue her exploration on hands and knees. The concentration on her face during these brief standing attempts was complete and serious, as if she understood the significance of what she was trying to accomplish.
Her expressions shifted constantly throughout the visit, cycling through curiosity, delight, mild frustration, and wonder with the kind of transparency that adults lose somewhere along the way. These reactions felt authentic in a way that reminded me how much of adult emotional expression becomes performative over time. She was simply responding to her immediate experience without filter or calculation, and there was something refreshing about witnessing that kind of directness.
What struck me most was how present she was in each moment. When she was focused on a particular toy or trying to reach something, nothing else existed for her. When she grew tired or overstimulated, she would simply cry without any attempt to mask or manage her feelings. When something amused her, her laughter was immediate and complete. This kind of emotional honesty becomes rare as we develop social awareness and learn to moderate our responses based on context and audience. Watching her reminded me of how much energy adults expend on emotional regulation and self-consciousness, and how much more straightforward life might be without those layers of complexity.