Through Their Eyes

I often describe being a parent as a kind of second life: a do-over of all the things you did before, but this time around, you’re more of a coach, experiencing these things by proxy opposed to directly. For me, one of the true joys of being a parent is getting to experience, or in some cases, re-experience, the world through the eyes of my kids. It adds a kind of second dimension of enjoyment to things that previously were only enjoyed in a single dimension. You go from just appreciating a great meal, to a kind of satisfaction that your kid also tried and liked your favorite food. Or you go from reading a book that you like, to liking that book even more on account of the fact that you read it to your kid and they liked it too. This proxy-enjoyment has a multiplicative effect.

So what are some things that you’ve derived some extra level of pleasure from, as a result of seeing it anew, or again, through the filter of the little human you helped create and shape?