Traveling east to care for my aging mom, I smile when I see the bright eyes of a little 9-month-old over the shoulder of her dad. Watching her look about the plane with calm intent, I imagine what is happening inside that nearly bald, adorable head.
She is fervently building her brain, about 1 million synapses per second, but she can’t do it alone.
She needs dad’s steady support and not just for physical stability, but emotional support that happens by dad just being available, attuned and responsive to her. He walks the aisle of the plane maybe to soothe her or maybe on the way to change her diaper, either way he is there for her and it shows. He stops for a moment and her little hand on his cheek brings the pair into a mutual adoring gaze, an oxytocin rush, that says it all. She has the confidence to look around, check out the rest of the world, knowing she is safe and secure in daddy’s arms. I catch dad’s eye and smile (well, under my mask) with a head nod of encouragement for the great work he is doing.
Cherish the parents in your daily life with words of praise or just a smile.
You give what you are given. Parents and caregivers need to be cherished in order to cherish our most precious investment in our future…our children.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
