Nearing his solitary candle birthday, he is already supremely aware that he is loved; his parents, grandparents and others envy and marvel at this ultimate gift, this new creation, perfectly formed in every way. His hair is golden and the object of envy of those whose crowns have faded into gray or indeed departed altogether.
But he is a work in progress and getting around he has not reached the upright stage yet, but the effort is not lacking. Crawling is now his main method of chasing his many toys, and his limbs are inexorably gaining strength and coordination as he figures out the use of his hands to pull up on the table, his legs to push himself upright, slowly and with great determination taking his first steps to baby independence. Defeat in his efforts is not yet a learned trait. A fall is just one more step to reaching his inevitable goal that of walking. It is one of his goals before reaching his first birthday along with talking, learning how to get his way, responding to disappointment, experimenting with the many available foods he will have available, learning to talk and understanding the magic of words. This first year will be as important as any he will reach.
So what lies ahead for this wonder of wonders? Well there is a mixed bag of events, some good and some it is hoped will be limited or nonexistent but such is life. We take what is given, some inevitable, some planned, some seemingly meaningless defying understanding. The good news: each child has a built in reservoir of optimism that shields him from the inevitable harshness he must encounter and overcome.
Childhood provides an overabundance of joy and happiness although at times countered by lesser degrees of sadness, sorrow and disappointment. Life is a mixture of both and dealing with such is part of growing up. Having loving parents gives him a head start.
The Bible in Ecclesiastes, chapter 3:1-8 characterizes life as seasons (“… to everything there is a season…”) which certainly can apply to challenges we, young and old, must face gradually starting even at birth and increasingly becoming more complicated as live evolves. Perhaps you recall some of the ‘wisdom’ written by ‘the Preacher’ of long ago.
Ideally most parents will try desperately to shield the little one from the negatives stated in some of these seasons of life but many times adversity is what helps us develop skills we use to overcome obstacles we must navigate for a meaningful, successful life.
So dear one, your greatest journey has just started. It’s called life, a one way ticket to adventures unknown.
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Bill Lee, PO Box 128,
Hamer, SC 29547
