A Day to Celebrate

Do you remember where were you seven years ago? I do.

It seemed a day like any other. But became one of the most special in my life.

Her name is Raquel.

When you look into a newborn child, the experience is looking at a miracle unfolding before you. How can someone so small and fragile be so beautiful and change your life forever?

Life is one of the greatest mysteries in the universe. It's a hidden reality uncovered by millions of years of evolution. And after all this time it doesn't ceases to surprise us. Chance is part of the story of our species, but is not the whole story. We are not the product of chance, but of love. Love of parents. And even when such love is painfully absent, the love of God is the essence of everyone's existence.

What can you expect from your newborn child? Tears of hunger, of poop, of sleep, sleepless nights, 90% of your luggage wherever you go, etc. But that smile... mmm, it only takes a smile, and every pain brought by the hard work of taking care vanishes. Ever wondered how angels look like? Watch your baby sleeping. That's heavenly enough.

I think the sense of miracle is the thought of "how can my ugliness generate someone so beautiful!" How can a small multicellular organism become someone that feels, thinks, acts? Every newborn is a proof that God need not violate the laws He himself created to make us experience a true miracle. A miracle is something extraordinary, but more important, by definition, it is some event that profoundly changes the way we view the world. We are transformed forever with a miracle. Such is the effect of a newborn.

But a newborn also teach us about vulnerability. How life can be so fragile. How we need others, security, love. We're so used to think that our limitations are a bad thing, when they teach us so much. Overcoming our limitations means embracing them because they make us who we are. Imperfection is our road to perfection because it demands relationships. Relationships are the essence of being human. Actually, of anything in this world. Even God in Jesus experiences vulnerability. Complete dependence on others. Completely at the mercy of others. Is this different in a newborn? No wonder pain is part of life. Without pain, suffering and death, there's no evolution.

I remember her first steps, her first words (not daddy I'm afraid...), her first struggles with overcoming outer and inner obstacles. The falling of the first tooth. First day in school. First sense of frustration. First sense of joy. First success. First failure. She never ceases to surprise me and show the meaning of life through her smile and celestial voice when she sings.

Today is a special day.

A day to celebrate life.

A day to celebrate love.