My youngest baby was born with frown lines between her eyes. She came out angry, like she knew she was going to be one of those kids who struggles with life and wasn’t ready to meet the day. I held her in my arms for the first time, whispered “Hello,” and watched in awe as her frown lines disappeared and calm, peaceful recognition spread across her face at the sound of my voice. It’s a moment of connection I will cherish forever.
To this day, my little one resists waking up. Every morning, it’s the same twenty-minute ritual: I whisper “Good morning,” kiss her on the cheek, rub her back, and then wait by her bed holding up a blanket that I wrap around her like a cape once she finally wakes up. Then I follow her slowly down the stairs holding her blanket like a train in a morning procession fit for a queen. It’s quite the scene. But she’s a sensitive kiddo and needs a lot of loving care in order to feel full.
As we enter our third pandemic spring, I imagine the whole world could use a little bit of this kind of opulent attention right…
