I believe we learn to laugh more, when we have children.   For example my son, when he was 3 years old, saw his first geyser in Rotorua and I pointed to it and said “look that’s amazing”.  He stared at the hot boiling water and steam and smiled.  Then he ran on ahead a little bit and saw another one, turned to me and said “look Mum, two mazings!”

This same child, when asked as a young boy if he could put the kettle on, turned innocently to me and said “No, I am too fat”.

Children are blank canvases – ready and waiting for the colour to be applied, to create a unique and beautiful masterpiece.  The more love and warmth that goes into that creation, the more beautiful the result.

Their egos are just starting to be formed, because egos are formed by those around us.  If we lived our total lives in complete isolation, we would not have an ego.  I love the innocence and purity of children’s egos.  Egos are not always bad – we all have them and the best type of ego is the one that gives us confidence to stand up for what we believe is right.

We need to appreciate the innocence of our children. How else would my child, after seeing a programme on television about a woman  whose partner was also female, ask whether she was a ‘Lexicon’.

I have learned to laugh more because of my children.  Because they teach adults how to look at the world in a different way.

Try to remember to look at the world sometimes, through a child’s eyes.  The beauty, the wonder, the freshness of it all.  Our smallest marbles are our gems!