I remember a time when I was at a friend’s house observing her crawling baby trying to navigate down a few steps.  Observing this small child I couldn’t help but watch in wonder at all the thinking and decision making he was doing all on his own.  First he tried to go down with his hands in front, but realizing he couldn’t hold his body this way, he reassessed his situation, tried a few other things out, before deciding that scooting down feet first on his belly was the best way for him to go about it.  And then off he went, undeterred toward his next big adventure.  I think that is why we get so much joy in watching small children go about the busy business of their lives; they are learning, exploring, unfettered, all the time. 

Thinking about this baby, it is so clear that he possesses such a drive for independence.  And it is just a step in the many steps he will take to become more and more authentically independent; that he can “do it” for himself.  In fact, later when he is able to learn for himself a language, he will no doubt say those very words that so often come out of the mouths of toddlers, “I do it, I do it!”, making it very clear to the “helpers” in his life that he does not want to be denied the pleasure of successfully navigating the situation for himself.