She did it! She did it, she did it, she did it! And I am doing the happy hip-hop!!
Today, for the very first time, in her whole short, grand life!! In the next 70 years, if He allows, she’ll do it innumerable times with countless other people. But today was the very first ever and we were the very first she ever graced with it! And I stood there and melted into this slushy pool of sappy sentiment!
She smiled.
Right at us!
And it happened like this:
She was staring at the ceiling. And I was walking by. Normal, mundane occurrence.
So I stopped. Hey, who can resist a wide-eyed baby who needs entertaining? And I leaned into her, so her baby breath was hot on my face. And I hung there for a moment, just looking into her. Then I spoke words—soft ones—into her, “Hey baby! How’s it going, Shalom? Hey, baby Shalom! I loooooove you.”
I ached to know this baby—this person. And then, opening up a sliver, at the corner of her mouth, a bit of her escaped out! I was certain I glimpsed it! Oh, to catch it before it slipped by! Like a wee wave, it—her—the smile—grew from the left corner of her lip. Holding my breath, I stepped back. My eyes widened with the wonder of it. Was this it? Was this the moment of the unveiling of her?
Then, like a full tidal wave it CRASHED into me, knocked me off my feet and swept me away.
A smile! A bona-fide, genuine, real-McCoy smile!
Stretching right across those milky-jiggly jowls and into her jet black eyes!
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
Someone asked for a glass of water. The back door slammed. The timer went off for the oven. But I was oblivious to it all, stuck in this glorious, miraculous moment.
Spellbound in this sacred snippet of time.
I clung to this first hallowed moment of a person expressing joy.
One doesn’t accidently stumble into such moments of wonder often. (Isn’t that the very reason why they are moments of wonder?) So I hung on, refusing to let go.
Shalom’s smile lingered. And I couldn’t stop grinning.
Shalom and I had really met. We had communicated. Her smile had undeniably spoken to the whole wide world. To me.
Communication. It is the invisible ribbon that ties souls together, families together, the Universe together. Lightning-strike moments of revelation. Of communion.
It’s the only way in. Into a relationship, into a soul, into God Himself.
And today, this child of mine with the silver glinting eyes, opened herself up, and I squeezed in.
And now I just can’t stop smiling.
Lord, it is all any of us want. All You want. Communication. Communion. Oh, let me open the door of me to my family today. To You. So we have a “no closed doors” policy. Sometimes I tremble, Lord, at the thought of letting anyone into the bubble of me…..remind me that it is as simple—and as hallowed—as a one glorious smile. And if baby Shalom can do it….so can I.
