The word awesome is vastly overused in daily conversation, but I can’t think of a better word to express how a parent feels about a new baby. What an amazing reality: that two people in loving each other have produced this new little person who has genes and traits from both of them. Is this magical or what?! If you don’t feel a bit of awe, you aren’t aware of the enormity of what has happened in your life. It’s like your own personal miracle.
A second reality is this: babies come with blank pages, and you get to write on these pages. Thrust from the warmth and security of the womb, a baby is suddenly in a strange new world. Is it safe on the outside? Where am I? From the first, your love and care furnishes this baby with a sense of belonging. As a parent, you will give your child a first view of the world. That may seem a bit lofty to contemplate when what you want most is to have your child sleep through the night. Still you need to think about what you want to inscribe on these blank pages.
One day holding our baby in my arms, enjoying that sweet smell of a contented baby, I let myself dream a little. What is it that I really want for this new little person? My mind galloped through all kinds of ideas, but in the end I knew what I wanted for this child: An uncommon awareness of the wonders and beauty of the world, of what is good and true, and an uncommon commitment to it.
Later my husband and I talked about these ideas. He was as awed as I was by the gift of this child. It is a good thing, talking like this. We need to do it more often.
