BABIES

If I ask anyone if they have noticed babies, they would probably nod in agreement. However, if I ask them if they have noticed themselves while they were in the presence of babies, they might not be so sure. Babies have this almost magical effect on me. The moment I spot one, my face breaks into a smile and if I happen to be talking to the parents, I then ignore them completely and focus on the little one :) (the parents don’t seem to mind this :) ) Unknown to themselves, babies hold this little invisible string that invariably draws me closer to my inner child. In their tiny hand they hold an unseen chisel that instantly cuts away at the masks I wear until I face the little one unmasked and totally myself. Their pure innocence and unaltered genuineness reminds me of those precious qualities that seem to get lost in the adult race for survival. Theirs is a pure beingness that is almost equal to godliness. No wonder Christ said, ‘Unless you become like a small child, you shall not enter the kingdom of God’.

Little ones from the animal world have an almost similar effect. Kittens and puppies have brought tears to my eyes. Tiger cubs and baby elephants on TV make my heart glow with love. Even tiny saplings, little sprouts pushing up from the earth, all connect me to the tender, the vulnerable, the loving and compassionate in myself. Yes, thank God for babies, we can see His face in them so clearly.