For the past 16 months, I have studied the world through the eyes of my grandson, Bam Bam. Each Wednesday he and I take on the world, one little step at a time. And the world looks pretty incredible from his pure perspective. A ball is not simply to be bounced. It is to be thrown, and not just to someone, but also over couches and into other rooms. Then, it is to be chased down and thrown all over again. For close to an hour.

Another human being is to be stared at. Smiled at. Waved at and then blown kisses to. Yesterday as Bam Bam and I sat at an outside table at Whole Foods eating an Acai bowl, he struck up a conversation (if signing and one syllable sounds count) with a man across the table from us. Bam Bam saw cars going by so he did the sign for cars and then said, “Vrmmm,” with a smile. The man understood him fully and they ‘discussed’ the cars at great length. When he got up to leave, he said, “Best lunch break I’ve had in a while.” He left with a smile.

Life on a good day can be rough, but if it takes someone with less than 600 days in to show me the good side, I’m going to grab at it with everything I have. Bam Bam has taught me the full wonder of being outdoors. Dirt is an endless source of fascination and sometimes (if I’m not quick enough) for tasting. Birds can never be caught. Front yards vary in design and are always worth exploring. And the sounds of outside are never ending.

When he sits in my lap as I read, I struggle to focus on the words because he smells so heavenly; a mixture of joy tossed with a hint new baby. We find colors on the pages. Boats, people, dogs and everything has a sound. We roll on the floor. Chase cars down the hallway. Eat when we are hungry. Sleep with the sense of a morning well played. And then start everything all over again with the same sense of happiness.

As a grandma, I have the freedom of not worrying about his homework or cleaning the house or worry about prepping for dinner or any other household chore. My biggest Wednesday decision is what park we should play at, is it cool enough to go to the zoo and should we play with the water table now or later? I appreciate this as so much of life is regimented, work filled and often sucked free of fun.

Bam Bam reminds me weekly what life is really about; living it. With impishness as he tosses a cup of water on me and dares me not to laugh with him. With fearlessness as he asks for “Mo!” as the swing spins around and around. With love as he grabs me by both cheeks and plants a sweet baby kiss on my nose. And by being able to find out that you have spent an entire day with your shirt on inside out (because you dressed long before the sun came up) and you discover that you could care less about it.