Points2Ponder by Alan P. Scaglione

“JJ and His Nano Scooping out the Autumn Harvest Pumpkin!”

Points2Ponder

Last Saturday night, I was standing around the breakfast bar at Jett’s new house, with his Mom and Dad and Nana on one side, and Jett was on the other side, standing on a step stool that he uses to help his mom wash dishes.
He’s two and a half, and he likes to help Mommy wash dishes.
At two and a half, that’s cute, right?
Of course it is! Picture it, we’ve all experienced it, the little kid standing next to the adult, washing dishes, making more of a mess than if the adult just did it themselves, but the kid is smiling ear to ear because…he is helping mommy!
Fast forward 10 years and that same kid is whining and complaining, “Why do I have to do the dishes? That’s not a boy’s chore! That’s not fair!”
Wait—maybe that was just a memory of my son at that age. You know-- Jett’s Dad!
We were standing around, just sharing a moment. Jett and his parents and his grandparents—he had our full attention.
I asked him, “How ya doing, JJ?”
JJ—that’s my nickname for Jett Jameson. His parents don’t really like it, but…I’ve been calling him that since the day he was born.
Just six months ago, Jett was in the backseat, I was in the driver’s seat, driving to a play date, mine and Jett’s.
I looked in my rearview mirror, and I said, “How ya doin, JJ?”
He looks straight into my rearview mirror and says, “My name not JJ—My name JETT!”
Cracked me up! Nana laughed out loud. Yes, sometimes, we really do LOL!
He did not want to be called JJ—his name ”JETT!”
I got it, duly noted-- change the nickname.
But that was so long ago, Nano forgot Jett’s declaration! Yeh, right!
So I looked over at him and said, “How ya doing, JJ?”
He didn’t respond.
I said, “Who’s JJ?”
He smiled ear to ear and said “Me!”
I was shocked and pleased!
I said, “that’s right, you are Nano’s JJ !”
Finally, he got it! He accepted that I called him this name—his Nano’s special nickname for Jett Jameson.

I thought the moment was over.
Boy, was I wrong!
All of a sudden, Jett opens his mouth and, in a cute but mocking voice, blurts out… “How ya doin, JJ?”
His parents spontaneously bust out laughing!
Nano and Nana start laughing too—surprised to hear Jett-- mimicking Nano!
Jett starts giggling and then says, “Jett’s funny!”
We fell on the floor laughing, tears rolling from our eyes—this two year old had just imitated his Nano and brought the house down in the process!

POINTS2PONDER Why do we give up so easily? Just because it’s not sticking six months ago does not mean that it won’t stick now! Where’s our assiduity- sticktoitness! Just when you least expect it, it suddenly happens: the lesson you were trying to teach or the action you were trying to cultivate or even the connection you were trying to make—just clicks! All because—you didn’t give up too soon!

So there we were, witnessing my grandson’s first Standing O – as in “Oh no, he did not just say that!” Apparently—he just did!

And his first experience in entertaining and captivating an audience. Remember the first time you made the crowd laugh? I know I do.

Yep—“Nano’s JJ!” Jett Jameson…a comedian at the ripe old age of two!

Who knows?

He may just have a future in stand up!

He’s already proven he can handle a heckler!