1st
The Wonder
This evening I did something rather simple that brings me a lot of joy.
I helped my wife give my baby daughter a bath.
There’s joy there, but the part I’m talking about is simply blowing bubbles for her while my wife gives her a good scrub. I’ve always had a thing for bubbles — I once owned a bubble machine — and was not exactly sure why.
Now, I think I know. Bubbles are a thing of wonder. They’re a bit strange, always different, beautiful, and very temporary. Sometimes I notice they even float UP. That freaks me out.
More important than that, the joy is seeing her respond to the bubbles.
As we get older, I think somehow we learn to mask our wonder at things, and how it manifests in our faces. We learn to hide things from each other, masking our true responses to life. We think it makes us weaker, gives away how we feel. It’s like we’re taught in a school of restraint. Feel everything, but show nothing.
Well, I’ve had enough of that. In many ways babies have a lot of things right. They haven’t been around long, haven’t learned to speak, read, or walk. They poop themselves, and constantly drool all over the place.
Yet they react with utter joy at simple things, and are utterly transfixed by things of wonder, like bubbles. They let you know when they’re mad, tired, or bored, without restraint. They smile easily. And cry easily. But you always know how they feel.
Let’s let our emotions be our strength, not our weakness. Show your joy at things, your fear, your pain. We’ll understand each other a bit more for it.
