The Beauty in a Baby

Vincent van Gogh once said: If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle. While it is clear that van Gogh is saying many things here, one thing is clear. Babies may be the most miraculous beings that have ever walked the earth. 

Every morning I get woken up by a screaming baby- but the moment that Britanny sees me (or occasionally, Aaron) standing over her crib a huge smile creeps over her face. It is in that moment that you know you made her day just by waking up to spend time with her. She knows that we are going to love her, play with her and take care of her. Every morning Britanny wakes up with the knowledge and security that she will be looked after, no matter the problems she causes us, no matter how many times she screams in our ears. She has no knowledge of world issues- she just knows that we will look after her.

I think that this is one of the main reasons God has given us babies (besides the fact that they are our way of continuing our existence). Babies remind us that there is something more than our day to day lives- they have the extraordinary ability to see the beauty in everything! No one else can appreciate something as simple as a clap or ripping paper (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc) than an infant. No adult has the ability to look at the sun the way a baby can, appreciating every single ray of light without a care in the world. They just understand that we should always take the time to appreciate the blessings that surround us each and every day.

Babies have the rare ability to look past the obstacles that life throw at us. They are completely untouched, able to appreciate everything that God has given us. Like van Gogh so aptly pointed out, it would be difficult to ignore God’s presence after seeing the miracle that is a baby. Science may be able to account for many things, but I just don’t see how one can deny the presence of God when you see a baby’s smile. There is no earthly explanation for the warmth created by a baby’s smile, and the joy found in a baby’s laughter. Children have the inane ability to touch the heart of every person, to allow them to forget their problems (even if it is just for a moment).

Britanny is the light of my life, and I cannot imagine living without her smile. All of her tears and screams are forgiven the moment she smiles and lets me glimpse at her care-free life. Maybe we should all take a hint from the babies and step back for a moment to appreciate the beauty before us. I think we would be surprised at what we would see.