Some days when it is time to put Paxton down for a nap, he runs from me.

And even though he is giving me every indication that he is exhausted and in total and utter need of sleep, he refuses to give into his body or the relief that I am trying to offer him.

And it can be pathetic to watch. To say the least.

But on those days, when I am FINALLY able to catch him and rock him, he quickly soothes in my arms and falls asleep without effort. And every time it happens, I look down at his sweet little baby body cashed out in my arms and wonder why he resists what he clearly needs.

But the answer is easy.

He doesn’t know what he needs. He only knows what he wants.

He wants to stay up despite the fact that he is exhausted and at his limit. He thinks staying up is what is best for him so he fights it with all he’s got. But in this case, what little Pax doesn’t know WILL hurt him. Because he is wrong.

What he wants isn’t what he needs. It is simply what he wants.

And as his mom, it is easy for me to see the difference. But for him, it isn’t.

This experience has me thinking about something I think is important for us all to think about. It goes like this:

Wanting and needing are not the same thing. Therefore, what we want is not always what we need.

Do you already know this? Am I stating the blatantly obvious?

I’m sure your first instinct is to laugh at me for asking because it seems like such a silly question. Your natural response is, “Of course, I do. I’m not a baby like the little guy you are referring to. I am absolutely able to sort out my wants from my needs. Thank you very much.”

But here’s my second question for you. Do you really live that way? Or do you just flippantly say you know that to be true but live in a way that suggests differently?

For now, I will stop there. Part Two to come soon. Stay tuned…

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