Oh, my son... how do parents even stand talking to people about how great their kids are? How brilliant, how gorgeous, how sweet, how perfect... maybe we do it all now so that when they start getting ornery and rambunctious, we can remember the times they were angelic. Maybe it's so we can remember that we, too, have our moments of pure awesomeness, that we are human beings who have a beautiful side hiding somewhere amidst all of the things we don't like about ourselves. Maybe it makes us better people-- having the ability to see such goodness in another being, and then being able to express it and share it with others. Because what is a compliment, really, without someone to hear and appreciate it? I've noticed that, when I'm out with my baby and I see other parents out with their older children, they often get this look of happy reminiscence on their faces. They sometimes even say, "I remember when *you* were that small..." and look over at their kids with a special smile.
October 3rd, 2009... Pondering life for a moment.
Maybe it's the most important thing in the world to keep reminding ourselves and other people that our kids are amazing and priceless works of art, so that they can recapture a little of that same joy and appreciation for other people in their lives. I know that having this child has definitely made me understand and appreciate my own parents much more, as well as the close friends who have been by my side throughout this whole experience. I'm sure it has been said many times before, and much more eloquently, but I'm just starting to realize that becoming a parent isn't only about taking care of another person, but about taking care of the little child within yourself and within all of us. The glad acceptance of complete responsibility and unconditional love for another person is transformative, both for individuals and for the community at large. I shudder to think what this world would be like without it.
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