New Life

There is nothing more wonderful than a new child entering the world. Their first cry is not an annoyance as it may be five months down the road, rather it is a sign that life has been born. What is more natural, or more impressive, than the moment that child opens their eyes for the first time and looks at you with such clarity, as if they can see the inner workings of your mind. To me, nothing scares me more than holding a newborn, for they are so fragile, so delicate that I worry I may break them. Simultaneously, I feel such a warm pride and peace knowing that I am in the presence of pure innocence. Knowing that the grief of the world around has not affected such a beautiful being is surely a relief. For the innocence of children is pure and bright, like the first rays of sun at 5:30am on a cold summer morning. It is unrivaled in its simplicity and its beauty. Just the other day I was able to experience the joy of having a new nephew. He is the sweetest little thing I have ever seen, so breathtaking was the sight of seeing him sleeping that I could have cried. To witness the natural innocence of such a small creature was phenomenal and wildly refreshing. I felt as if the peaceful state in which he lay was contagious, for I felt an instant peace and the countless thoughts racing through my mind settled so that the only thing I could concentrate on was my nephew's sleeping face. When a person is pregnant it is easy not to consider their child as living just yet, but once they are born into the world and are there for all to see in their glorious form, it is impossible to deny them the gift of life. As I sit here in my classroom, I pray that my nephew remains healthy and innocent, and that his big sister (three years old) will welcome him into his new home today with an open heart just as she did the day of his arrival.