Something I've been thinking a lot about recently is the sweet innocence of a child and especially that of a baby girl. Don't get me wrong, Emily can have her challenging moments and she is getting smarter and more mischievous all the time, but she still has an overall innocence about her that I love.
Toddlers don't worry. They don't worry about bills or clothes or if we are out of milk. They don't worry about what we are going to do that day. They just wanna have fun and be loved and fed well and they trust that every day their mommy or daddy will meet that need. Toddlers haven't developed any body issues. Emily doesn't try to hide her nakedness. She will prance all around the house after her bath and be totally oblivious that she is naked or that being naked would ever be something to hide. She has never heard anyone say the "fat" word or ever had a thought in her head that she wasn't perfect and beautiful just the way God made her. I love the innocence that comes from not really understanding the world yet. Emily is sheltered by us and doesn't have to face the cold realities around us. She doesn't have to know that some children don't have mommies or daddies and go to bed hungry. She doesn't have to know that there is war and poverty and injustice. She doesn't have to know that sometimes families break up and sometimes women don't keep their babies. She doesn't have to know or need to know and I am so thankful.
I see how she tries to please us by giving kisses when we ask for one and even better, giving a totally unprompted kiss or hug or squeeze "just because." I see big tears well up when she has displeased us to the point that we ask her to "say you're sorry" and then she meekly responds. I see dancing and clapping and singing songs exuberantly even when she doesn't know most of the words. I see a little innocent girl who loves to put on a pretty dress and turn around so we can "ooh and ahh" over her. I hear her tell me "pretty mama" when she sees me dress up in a favorite dress. And best of all, I check on her at the end of the day all cuddled up sweetly in her crib clutching her "bank" or blanket and I just adore her. I don't know how long we can protect her from this world because eventually she will hear a cuss word and cry over a boy and be left out at school. I just know that I love this precious, innocent child.
