Learning like a Toddler

As I had one of my Spanish filled days today, I started to realize something. Learning a new language is like becoming a child again, a toddler, who is fumbling around with words. We see pictures and are told words. We see colors and are told their names. We see objects and are told their meaning. We see greetings and learn their purpose. Each of the 11 days that have persisted in my stay here, I have so greatly wanted to be able to understand the people around me without difficulty. Obviously, since I am a beginner, this is an impossibility. It is perhaps the biggest struggle for me, especially since I am a perfectionist. However, thanks to this new simile of thinking, I realize that it takes years for a child to learn a language, so for me, it will take a very long time as well. Now all there is to do is study rigorously, be bold in attempting, and pray for patience with imperfection.