Love

I forgot that love is also a very physical sentiment until I recently experienced its warm sensation in my entire body when holding and hugging and kissing my baby, who was returning all the affection in his own way--by goobering all over my face. (: I indulged in its sweetness and it felt so good, so happiness-and-peace-inducing.

It reminded me of something that I had forgotten...that this is what my soul also seeks--Eternal Love.

Humans Raising Humans

It takes an entire human being (or two, or three! A village some would say, but that's another story) to raise a human being. SubhanAllah. A simple concept, an age-old truth, but only recently did I dwell on it when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror holding my 5 month old son, totally limp in my arms as he had fallen asleep. Here he was--completely 100% dependent on me. I can easily imagine animals raising their children, but why was this image so impressionable, and this thought so foreign and new when applied to myself? Perhaps because not so long ago I was essentially just living for myself. Then I got married, but still I largely lived for myself. But now that I have children (two of them!) I have entered a completely different phase of life. One of nurturing and raising other human beings. I was nurtured and raised myself by my parents, grandparents, teachers and others, and now it's my turn. This is a thing of great magnitude--a responsibility, a challenge, an honor, a whole new meaning and purpose in life! For humans though this task is more complex than for animals, for we are to physically, emotionally, but most importantly, spiritually, nourish these souls along with the body that encapsulates them.

For now the thoughts stop here as I recall and relish in the beautiful image of simply holding my son--of one human soul connecting with another. (: