That Baby

In 2012, after seven years of being the only married child in the family, my sister gave birth to a little girl. 

Before that, I always said that I loved babies, but why? Well, because they are cute. They are tiny, delicate, and dependent. They need love.

Photo by Lindsey Stokes

Since she arrived, my niece has been the topic of discussion in my family. We have an ongoing group message on our phones where you can bet daily that someone will ask, "Where's the baby?", and receive pictures, videos, and stories in return. 

When you have a baby in your life, that's actually a part of your life, you have the chance to witness something miraculous. I have always been fascinated by pregnancy, the miracle of life. You start with something microscopic and it rapidly grows into a tiny human. That tiny human resembles you in looks and maybe even develops a personality and interests like yours, and you get to be there to see it all transpire. You get to see a life begin, and I mean a life in the sense that this baby has a future. This little one will grow up to be someone with hobbies and passions and a history, and you can be there from the beginning to help her discover who she is and what she can do. You have the privilege of introducing her to the world, and the fun part is seeing how she reacts to it.

For a long time I admired babies from afar, hoping their moms would ask me to hold them. Now I have that baby whom I'm always thinking about, always asking after, and of whom I love to see a new picture. Never mind the fact that she's an absolutely cute baby; she's just plain fun. She's fun because she is new to the world, and the world is new to her, and as young as she is, it's true that she is discovering herself and the part that she plays in all of this. 

They say that the first year passes all too quickly, but I hope that each of us sees the miracle in its occurrence by finding that baby whom we can love. Because however you come to know that baby, she allows you to be a part of something precious when you allow her to be a part of your story too. 

"When do you suppose babies became so very precious? Are they more valued now because they can survive or do they survive because they are more valued?"

-Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwives