New Arrivals

Spring means new things.

This one goes out to the babies, and those who’ve had babies, and to the ones who adore the babies.

The young ones, with their new smell, their eyes waking, smiles grinning wide to the world. They’re ready for what’s next and what’s next is everything. Everything is new to the young and they want to experience it all. Their knowledge of the world is trusting and innocent. Their judgement is uncluttered, unhurt.

New to walking, the baby will need help up. New to talking, the baby will need an example, like the sound of mom’s voice, dad’s voice.

The young one’s legs are weak, at first. They seem to get strong quickly. From a mewling lump of flesh, quickly building sinews in the neck. Strength in the core means rolling over…and over again until baby stands and starts bossing mama and papa around. Barking out orders no one understands. Rebelling against everything. Playing loud music at all the wrong times of the day.

Just kidding. That was total exaggeration.

Seriously though, before they become teenagers, they’re still as cute as a wild wolf pup. Babies are cute so that the animal kingdom will take care of them and give them the protection they need to survive and grow old and have their own babies. Survival, not only of the individual, but of the group. A cute baby means a healthy species.

A baby may not seem to have much to give, no skills to put on a resume, no bank account, no amassed assets, and yet, any new mother and father can tell you their baby means the world to them. A true mother would give her life for her child. So many mothers have given, and still do give, their whole life for their child. Why? They don’t owe anything to the child. The babe has nothing to offer in return for the mother’s devotion.

It’s most likely obvious to some, the reason is love. Love is the ultimate parental motivation. It’s the kind of feeling not limited to one species. A parent can look at someone else’s baby and feel concern and caring. A parent can look at newborn chicks in a nest with the same feeling.

Then again, do you have to be a parent to feel this feeling?