Babies are like Snow

Forget about the tiring days and nights spent looking after these teething monsters, believe me when I tell you that babies are like snow.

How so? What on earth do you mean? Are you feeling ok?

Yes I am, thank you very much for your concern. You see, nine months ago I became an uncle and since then I have realised the joy and happiness a baby can bring to a household.

Having a little argument? Bring the baby in the room and instantly those frowns are forgotten.

Feeling tired and drained after work? Pick up the baby and instantly the memory of your day of staring glassy eyed at a screen is dissolved.

But more recently, I had a fun experience which illustrated perfectly why I think babies are like snow. It was a warm summer’s day – surprisingly we have been getting quite a few of those recently – and so I decided to walk down to the shop with my niece. Apart from wanting to take her out, I also needed some bread because I was craving a peanut butter sandwich.

So off we went, baby and I, she staring in open-eyed wonder at the world around her. She was silent, simply gazing at the silvery grey pavement and the crunchy green leaves.

“She’s so cute!” An old lady suddenly exclaimed, the first proof of how a baby is like snow.

“Is she your son?” She went on.

I laughed, her hair was growing very slowly. “No she’s my niece.”

“Oh she suits you.” She said.

“Oh really, do I look like a responsible dad?”

“Yeah definitely!”

I laughed. Just like snow, my niece was the cause of people interacting for no other reason than the sheer happiness on seeing it/her.

“Bless you!” the old lady said as we walked away.

Baby stood on the shop counter, peering at the newspapers. She knew how pages worked and the marks on the paper, never mind the pictures, seemed to interest her immensely.

“You’ve got to take a bag for this bread ‘cos you have a baby.” The shopkeeper told me.

Coming out of the shop, with bread in hand, the old lady was still outside.

“Hurry up with your one!” she called after me.

Then, walking up the road, baby began to feel quite heavy on my arm so up she went on my shoulder.

We walked past a house that was a few down from ours. The usual friendly guy wasn’t outside but there was a young man, a woman and a little girl who seemed to be crying.

“Look the baby is looking at you.” The man said to the girl as he smiled at baby. “She’s so cute! What’s heavier, the baby or the bread?”

“In this case, the baby!” I replied.

“Well you keep your eyes ahead, she can look wherever she wants but you make sure you look where you are going.” He warned me. Human compassion in a nutshell. Concern for a soul on the basis of humanity and innocence.

“Yeah, she’s my brothers so I definitely have to make sure of that!”

“Oh yes! Something like that (hurting the baby) can get you broken up!”

Throughout the exchanges, baby had remained silent but when we approached home, she started making her motorbike noises, as if she was desperate to tell grandmother of all those that she had met.

So there you have it, babies are like snow.

Until Next Time

A Worried Student