Reflections

Tomorrow, Blake will be one year old; not a baby anymore. He's been a baby his whole life, doesn't he know what he's giving up?

As I watch him grow from the little baby I have nurtured and cared for over the past twelve months into the young man he will one day be, I am amazed at his intelligence, his innocence, and his quest for life. If only we could all maintain that same quest for knowledge as we grow older, this world would be a much different place to live in.

I watch him carefully push a star shaped block into a star shaped hole. I try to see the blocks the way he must see them. Is this some new mission, some new feat to achieve today? I listen to him mimic our sounds and then giggle when we mimic his. I wonder what he is thinking. As I watch him try a new food for the first time, I delight in the way his nose wrinkles up and he smacks his lips together and then that moment of pause where he must decide whether he likes it or not. I try to remember the last time I tasted a new food. Did I take the time to enjoy it?

As I watch him try to fit the star into the correct hole, I see his frustration when he can't make it work. He bangs the plastic blocks together and gives them an ear-full of baby jibberish but still the pieces will not interlock. He turns one, and tries again. Then he turns the other, and again tries to fit them together. I see the concentration on his face as he stares intently at the blocks that just won't seem to do the right thing. I want to go and help him but I push back the urge and I wait from across the room. He doesn't see me. It's as if nothing else in the world exists but him and those two plastic blocks. I see him try one final time, this time lining them up just right as one piece interlocks with the other. Then I see a big grin of satisfaction on his face. He is proud of his accomplishment and I am glad I waited and let him figure it out for himself. I think of a time when I was angry that something wasn't going my way. I wanted someone to step in and make it all better. Then I think of the satisfaction that comes with solving difficult situations on my own and I am proud.

Every day I watch my son learn about life, about himself, and about the world around him. As adults, we think we know everything already. We forget to learn from our daily experiences. We get too caught up in the "important" things each day to pay attention to the little things. Now, through the inspiration of my growing little boy, I am trying to see the world through my baby's eyes for a change. I am enjoying the fresh perspective.

So here is a tribute to Blake. For bringing into my live more happiness than I ever could have imagined. From a tiny newborn to one year old, I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey!