There is something about holding a little baby that just tugs at the heartstrings. They make little baby noises and just seem to naturally cuddle. What a shame that sometimes we lose that ability when we become adults. The cuddling part, not the noises part. The noises part we have and it's not always good, but we should try harder to hold onto the cuddling part. Whether it's a parent holding a child, a husband holding a wife, a friend comforting a friend, or an adult child holding an elderly parent, we should remember how to cuddle someone. It's one of those things that seems to bring comfort to the one who is being cuddled and the one who is doing the cuddling.
Last night I got to cuddle the 2 month old baby of my precious niece and her wonderful husband. It had been a couple of years since I had been around a baby I could cuddle. There's magic in that feel. You look into that little face and you see all the amazing things that life can offer. At that moment, there aren't any cant's, wont's, or limits. I just see a huge world and a tiny baby who hopefully will embrace the joy of living and exploring that world. I see love and trust and possibilities.
I also got to hold her 2 year old brother . He was scared because Mom and Dad had gone out and he had only seen me a few times before in his young life. The possibilities of life were still there but some of the scariness had crept in also. He was starting to discover that life didn't always go as you planned or wanted it to and sometimes you just had to adapt. Although tears and yelling were ways to vent that frustration and disappointment , and we've all done that at one point or the other, acceptance of change brings more peace.
I've found that you can't make people's problems go away permanently. The best thing you can do it just to be there when they need you. Hold them close and sometimes when they are a scared two year old, tell them they are loved, and safe, and sing An Irish Lullaby to them as your Mother did for you when you were two and scared.
So little ones, I wish for you people in your life who will help you explore this marvelous world and will be there to cuddle you when it looks a little bit scary.
1 comment:
What a wonderful post! Yes, babies and young people bring out the best in everyone. I have always pondered what happen to the relationship between a mother/father & child when that child reaches the 'unhuggable' age--they are still the same person at that older age as they were at the baby age.
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