Something New

Parents love to brag about how smart their babies are. "Did you see her pick up that block? She's so smart!" The little things babies do give us insight into how their brains are developing. Its fun to watch, but one of the main things that gives us a glimpse into their true genius often gets ignored: the fact that babies wake up smiling.


You've noticed it before, I'm sure. You dismissed it as "a cute little things they do" and went on about your day. Had you looked a little closer, you would have understood. You would have received the gift.

It’s hard being human, dealing with all our built-in imperfections and overwhelming emotions. The various obstacles we face have a tendency to sidetrack us from our goals and detract from our natural joy. We carry our hurt and frustration with us through the day, a heavy sack of resentment that slows our progress. It fills the space in our beds at night and shoves us into corners, robbing us of a good night's rest. It nudges us awake in the morning and distracts us from the beauty of yet another day. This becomes our sad routine. This becomes our life.
But, babies wake up smiling. Whatever anger they experienced the night before (and you know babies get angry), they leave there in that moment. Never would they punish themselves by mixing yesterday's irritation with today's calm. They don't even let the frustration of five minutes ago interfere with the current blessing. They treat each day— each moment—like something new.


We adults, with our extensive vocabularies and intellectual reasoning, haven’t made this discovery. Rather than accept and praise the potential of a new start, we focus on our misfortunes and give them the kind of attention they don’t deserve. There is so much to be thankful for in life, so much to make us smile. Yet and still, we frown. Yet and still, we complain. Yet and still, we sabotage our own happiness.


But, babies wake up smiling. They guard their joy, because they know its value. They thrive on it. It’s what their innocence is made of. It’s what makes them so pleasant to be around. We could learn a lesson from these adorable little creatures. Our very lives depend on it. Abandon your sadness where it is, and sleep well tonight, knowing that tomorrow's sunrise will bring something new.

P.S. This post is an entry in the My Brown Baby "Beautiful Mind Writing Contest"




Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail

Singing in the Rain

It's raining this morning. My husband seems to think it's a bad thing. "I hate rain," is what he said. I told him that rain is a blessing and without it everyone and everything would die. He wasn't that impressed. Oh well. Maybe he's just in a grumpy mood this morning.

Zara, on the other hand, is not in a grumpy mood. She woke us up this morning with a medley of her favorite songs (all of which she wrote herself). She noticed that we weren't responding to her sweet tunes, but didn't give up. She sang even louder, in the loudest voice that an 11-week-old can muster. She’s always so happy and positive.

And I pray she stays that way, always able to find the silver lining. I want her to grow up and appreciate the rain, despite isn’t reputation. I want her to be able to extract the good from any situation and take it with her, creating a protective barrier against the many forces in life that tend to bring us down. It’s so easy to get caught up in the muck of stress, anxiety, anger and jealousy. Maintaining a constant goodness about yourself is harder, but well worth it.

Twenty years from now, when she’s grown and maybe thinking of starting her own family, I hope she continues to sing, even when no one is listening.

My attempt at singing in the rain

Zara's Mommy,
Nadirah Angail