Bear Hugs

I can almost smell the sweet scent of baby. I can almost hear his tiny sighs, and feel his warm little body in my arms all curled up in baby sleep. There is something about a brand new baby; soft, fragile, tender and sweet. Little eyes that struggle to see, tiny fingers clasping bigger ones, skinny little legs kicking involuntarily as he cries.

I recall being a brand new mommy and feeling suddenly very vulnerable, wondering how I would ever protect my tiny bundle from the wiles of the world. It's been over twenty-eight years since I first looked into the sweet, innocent face of my first newborn, but those feeling rush back all over again whenever I see a brand new baby.

This is my great nephew, Ethan. I may never get to hold him while he's tiny, in fact I have no guarantees that I will ever see him at all, but I can still love him. I can still pray for him. And, I can still think he's beautiful!