It Takes More Than A Village

Babies are magic, pure magic.  They are honest, pure, untainted.  They have a sense of humor.  They trust.  They love unconditionally. 

I love babies.  This is why when somebody’s beloved, precious child getting hurt, however unintentionally, it makes me sick to my stomach.  Literally.  

A thought on bouncy houses, folks: the littlest tots should be treated like they are going to Disneyland or another amusement park, with posted signs: You Must Be THIS TALL to ride this ride…that sort of thing. Or at least set aside special bouncy times just for the little ones to bounce other wise somebody small is going to be accidentally trounced on by a big brother or a cousin and actually yes, break a collarbone. 

I only wish it had been me.  

Accidents happen and anyone who has had kids knows this.  Kids play, they roughhouse, so kids obviously get hurt.  My beau the Fire Captain likes to remind me that in his considerable experience, if a child is screaming bloody murder after being hurt, they are likely going to be fine.  If not, you’ve got something to worry about.  And yes, the toddler in question was screaming pretty loud after her brother/cousin/relative landed on her collarbone.  And although she’s going to be fine we all still feel so darn guilty. Me for turning away from the bouncy house antics to find my daughter in a thick crowd, because I had an exhausted, inch-from-melting down, Baby CJ on my hip and thought it was time to take her home….my son-in-law for being inside the bouncy house when his tiny cousin got hurt…my daughter for having the idea that a bouncy house should be rented in the first place.  The list goes on and on, we all feel so darn guilty.   

But babies don’t feel guilty. Nor do they hold a grudge.  Babies, like dogs, just love you completely and freely. They don’t brood or worry overly much.  My granddaughter is the only person I know who looks at me with a happy, beaming expression when I come back from seeing my oncologist.  She remains blissfully untouched by my fight with cancer and doesn't know that I could be bearing good or bad news.  She just knows that she loves me and, like the puppy, she is thrilled to see me.

I never see fear lingering behind Claudia’s sapphire blue eyes, only joy.   The specter of my having fought cancer never haunts her, she’s just….happy.  If there was one element of childhood that I wish adults could all retain as they grow up, it’s the pure joy that I see in that baby. 

So, right after the bouncy house incident, when I sank down on a picnic bench, terrified, guilty, upset, and clearly distraught, Baby Claudia did the only thing necessary.  She put her tiny arms around my neck, thoughtfully patted my cheek and hugged me tight. 

Like I said, pure magic.