This past weekend I flew to Calgary, AB to visit with family and stay with my niece, her husband and their beautiful baby boy.
I have such enormous respect for parents…the sleepless nights, illnesses, extreme sleep deprivation, the incredible patience required to get through hours of screaming or projectile vomiting. Small and big sacrifices that you do for your child, and the amazing planning for the simplest of things…to go to the store to buy groceries, plan a workout, clean your house or go out for lunch. Let’s not forget the volume of laundry and dirty dishes and that you are soon capable of carrying more weight with bags full of toys, blankets, bottles, diapers, clothes and anything else you may need in all possible circumstances!
Although you could read a thousand books, talk to all your friends, quiz your own parents on what it will be like to be a new parent, nothing really prepares you for the change in lifestyle.
Everyone should spend time with an infant because your perspective on life changes.
You appreciate TIME.
You appreciate SLEEP.
You appreciate LOVE.
You appreciate HEALTH.
You realize how fragile life is and how as adults we take it for granted. We were ALL that fragile, innocent and beautiful.
We were once ALL children learning about the world and understanding the complexities of life.
Every single person you come across in a day was once a tiny, innocent and fragile little baby.
Today they may be prostitutes, drug addicts or petty thieves. They may be angry, bitter or deeply sad. Perhaps they are extremely insecure, incredibly shy or emotionally immature. Once upon a time, they were infants, just like you.
We ALL relied on others to take care of us so we were on their journey as much as we are on our own. As adults it’s now OUR CHOICE on how to live our life.
Spending time with an infant just shows how DELICATE, PRECIOUS and FRAGILE life truly is and that moments in time are there to be TREASURED, HONORED and DEEPLY APPRECIATED.
LIFE DESERVES RESPECT.
Today offer KINDNESS, COMPASSION and LOVE to those who you feel may not deserve it. (This includes yourSELF.) You do not know their journey and perhaps although once innocent they lost their way because no one showed them the power of a kind word, a loving hug or simple understanding…
We are all children of the world; let’s treat each other as such.
With a smile,
Tina
