'Find the courage to sometimes overuse exclamation points!!!!'

Two boys in matching raincoats roam through the wild forest looking for a mysterious creek

A two-year old’s rocks

Do you like my rock? he asked, coming up behind as I grumpily hand washed dishes.

Yeah, I said, not really looking. I like your rock.

Ohhhh!
he exclaimed…
THANK YOU! Thank you for liking my rock!!

I paused, wiping my wrinkly hands on my dirty pants, and turned around to see him clutching his precious plastic bag of rocks gathered from various points around the earth, from the earth, most points being within a ten minute drive.
I do like your rock, I said, not unkindly. I really like it.

Thanks! he boomed. I like your rock too!!

I don’t have a rock though, I said.

OH!! he said, rummaging through his bag. I’ll give you one of my rocks! I really like them!!

(he handed me one)

Now you have a rock, Daddy!

I bent down and took his rock, his precious rock.
Thank you for liking my rock, I said. Thank you.

I thought for a moment.

Let me rephrase that, I said:
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ROCK WITH ME!!

What side to err on

Maybe the side we need to err on is

giving better hugs,
and responding more enthusiastically to other people’s news,
and using more exclamation points,

Maybe we need to daily practice living more precariously, and more awkwardly, and more excitedly,

by going bigger in little ways.

THANK YOU, MY SON, THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME WELL TODAY!!!!!!!