In the check out line in Publix, I'm pulling items out of the cart when a man rushes up to admire Che, our 4 month old daughter resting in her car seat in the buggy.
"Can I eat her feet?" the grey haired fellow asks through a smile.
"What?" the clerk and I ask at the same time.
And he proceeds to imaginary chop on her toes.
Che laughs and coos.
He's magically transported into another world full of joy.
Sarah Elliott, the clerk and I can't help but laugh.
A baby is an easy thing to love. Never asking for anything or chidding, a baby is beautiful to look at and fills one full of hope even if things are bleak or desperate.
Not everyone loves them of course.
"Glad it's you and not me," I'm often told or when Che cries in a crowded restaurant it's easy to tell who loves babies and who doesn't.
Yesterday I stroll her to the Beach and we sit in a swing as I point out cargo ships, channel markers, seagulls and let her play in the sand.
Traditon holds God came as a baby as an example of how to love someone unconditionally and receive it in kind.
The older we grow the less we're unconditional about much anything.
Babies remind us though if we let them.
Who could have guessed that after 60 years of making my mark in the world, I still had so much to learn about love.
It's a good thing you're never too old unless you choose to be.
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