Can you remember the last time you saw something for the first time? I recently traveled to Brazil and visited the Iguaçu falls. Miles and miles of massive water falls. Holy cow, I had never seen anything like it! Had it not been for the crowd and the pushy lady behind me trying to rush me to take my photos, I would have remained transfixed there for hours. It was truly an overwhelming moment. It was in that moment that I realized, I had not been filled with that sense of awe and wonder in years.
And then I became an aunt. The first moments of holding Baby Girl in my arms was unforgettable, and also seeing the look of joy on my sister’s face (I think my brother-in-law’s face was a mix of joy too but also deer-in-the-headlights nervous!). Since then, I have been charmed with daily updates and photos of the new faces she’s making. Her eyes seem wider every time as she takes in her new home. If only we could remember what it was like to see our world for the first time.
I know that it’s biologically normal to develop like this. Our brains are most malleable during the first years of life, and it’s important for infants to take in things that stimulate all their senses. But I just love seeing the expressions on their faces as they experience these things for the first time, filled with both awe and curiosity.
We lose that over time don’t we? It’s understandable and I’m guilty of it too. It’s really only when I look over and see a child looking at the same thing, with their fixed gaze and open mouth, that I’m reminded to appreciate even the little things in life.
She is a Gypsy at Heart 