Photo courtesy: Sandeep Banerjee aka smokey bandit
Today, I’m grateful for my son’s gummy smile. I’m grateful for many other things in my life too. But at this very moment as I look at my 6-month-old baby, a little elf in blue knit leggings, green sweater with shiny red rockets for buttons and a lilac woollen cap with a huge pompom, smiling his gummy smile, I thank God and the Universe for letting me keep him.
I came so close to not knowing how my baby looks when he makes his rosebud mouth into a perfect ‘O’ or flips on his tummy or twinkles his berry-black eyes. I came so close to not knowing what it feels like to cuddle a baby and inhale his milk-and-honey smell. To not knowing what life as a writing mom is like.
At that curve of time, I almost walked into the starkness of life without a baby in my tummy or a baby in my arms. So today, when I see my baby, chubby with health and happy in the knowledge that he has a family that loves him, I say my gratitude prayer. For letting my baby live, for giving him the strength to make it through 12 days of excruciating pain as he battled for his life in a Neo-natal ICU, for making it through that period without physical or mental damage.
Thank you God and Spiritual Guide for letting us see this day, full of sunny baby smiles and syrupy gurgles.
I came so close to not knowing how my baby looks when he makes his rosebud mouth into a perfect ‘O’ or flips on his tummy or twinkles his berry-black eyes. I came so close to not knowing what it feels like to cuddle a baby and inhale his milk-and-honey smell. To not knowing what life as a writing mom is like.
At that curve of time, I almost walked into the starkness of life without a baby in my tummy or a baby in my arms. So today, when I see my baby, chubby with health and happy in the knowledge that he has a family that loves him, I say my gratitude prayer. For letting my baby live, for giving him the strength to make it through 12 days of excruciating pain as he battled for his life in a Neo-natal ICU, for making it through that period without physical or mental damage.
Thank you God and Spiritual Guide for letting us see this day, full of sunny baby smiles and syrupy gurgles.
What a heartening story Mishtu. Can only imagine how frightful those early days must have been for all of you. But Baby Neel emerged a fighter. May he stay blessed, happy and healthy.
ReplyDeleteSurabhi, thank you for your prayers and words :)
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