Life Lessons from a Dying 2-Year-Old

By Patch Editor Marcia Watts Sagendorph 

Writer Jennifer Pastiloff learned how to live by visiting her friend Emily Rapp and spending time with Emily's son Ronan, a 2-year-old who was dying of Tay Sachs disease. Her heartbreaking and inspiring article was featured on the Positively Positive website.

After Pastiloff said her tearful goodbyes to Ronan, she thought about what he taught her in his short but meaningful life. Here is just one point from the article:

"How to Be Present - Ronan just is. He sits there in his stroller or propped up on his pillows and simply soaks up the energy of the room—a big baby sponge who sometimes has choking fits and seizures. He doesn’t ask for much. He knows when his mom is near. He knows when love is present. He knows when he needs to be fed. You feel silly when you find yourself worrying about the “what ifs” of life when you are in his presence, like he is some baby Buddha who has all the answers. He understands what it means to be still and also to have no expectations. He is present for his life in a way that is at once disarming and beautiful."

We should all be like Ronan.

Any parent, caught up in the mad rush of daily life, can forget lessons like this. Parenting is a demanding job where you can overlook the small, quiet moments. Those are often the ones that matter the most.