Putting Aside the Looking Glass

Many believe that when one falls in love, they are actually falling in love with themselves. Thus, the gestures, behaviors, habits, etc. that you find so charming about your loved one, are ones that most closely resemble your own, or what you want to be, have or do. Never have I found this to be more true than when one falls in love with a newborn.

The first thing that admirers (especially older women) look for in my baby girl is what traits most resemble her father, her mother - or if they're related - themselves. Depending on who is doing the observing, Bronwyn has my feet, my eyes, my profile, her father's eyebrows, his hair, his expressions, and her grandmother's hands. Funny, I thought she had her own.

No really. When I look at my newborn I see a creature who is uniquely herself. She has the most delightful smile, that I'm sure could melt any iceberg and speed up global warming even more. The sounds she makes are nothing short of a master composer, creating each note as though she were on stage conducting the universe to expand in a series of beautiful and delicate movements.

Her physical features might resemble something in me, her father, or beyond, or not. After all, She has my DNA, her father's DNA and her ancestor's DNA. But for right now, I am more than happy to put aside the looking glass, and observe how life itself unfolds on its own. With ample love, gentle encouragement, and nurturing from the sidelines.