I am a biologist by training. I appreciate the wonders of nature.
When my children were born, I was a bit in awe of their births. It IS an amazing thing. Creating a new being from something so very small. When my first three grandchildren were born, I felt much the same thing. I was in awe of the simple miracle of life.
When this fourth little boy was born however, I have experienced a completely new feeling. Every time I look at him and hold him, I marvel at how something so incompletely formed could live with us frail humans in charge. I know there are a lot of animals born out there that are in such a incomplete state. I guess I give the animal world more credit than I do to humans.
Not too long ago, a newborn was found in a discarded washing machine at the trash area of an apartment complex. A little girl, umbilical cord still attached, was found wrapped in a plastic garbage sack stuffed into that washer. It was a warmish day, not really hot, but in a plastic bag in a closed container, I would imagine it could get hot very quickly. Perhaps that ended up aiding her survival.
When I hear Wiggle Worm cry, especially as a new born (only hours old), his cry was feeble at best. This other little girl was located because she was able to make her cry heard. That was a miracle right there. She was taken to the hospital, and last I heard, she was doing well placed in the foster care system.
Back to WW. I marvel at him, and really all newborns. They manage, mostly, to not only survive but flourish. I watch him discover his arms. You can see he really wants to know what those things at the ends of those arms are, but he just hasn't made those neural connections - yet. All he can do is squirm a bit and cry. He cannot do anything else. What fragile little beings come to us.
I never felt like this with any of the others. I really don't know why. Perhaps my life experiences of late have changed me. I don't know. I continue to look at him and marvel. How completely helpless he is. What a wonder . . .
Peace.
1 comment:
I've had more "awe" moments with my grand children then I ever did with my own kids. I think I was too young when my own were born to ever "wonder"--when I first found out I was pregnant with the first three, I was a little p.o'd--"not again...number one is only 8 months old!" Or, "Another baby? I have 2 under 3 years old." Stuff like that went through my mind.
When I got older and wanted another baby and found it difficult to get pregnant, THEN I knew the wonder of it all. How something that starts out so miniscule and ends up a nice, healthy human baby is a miracle in itself.
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