Desire

Why does it surprise me, every time I see the strength of my son's desire? Not so much the desire to eat or sleep, which has always been with him; I mean, the desire he now possesses to touch things, to open and close flaps in books, to bring a piece of cheese to his mouth and taste it; to turn a cell phone over and over in his hands, studying it intently; the desire he possesses to take in the world, as fully as possible.

This hunger for perception hasn't developed yet into a hunger to know things; but I did see a light go off in his head (please excuse the pun) earlier today, when he flicked the switch to the light in his bedroom and the room suddenly became darker. His eyes flashed something like delight, and sudden comprehension. He turned to the light, then to the switch; he raised the switch and watched the light go on.

Perhaps because everyone goes through so many years of schooling where the main focus is on knowing things, the hunger for knowledge isn't so surprising. But the hunger for perception that he's exhibiting--how many of us can remember this time of being nine months old, when we are so keenly hungry for every sensation? It's a surprise and a privilege to witness it in my son.