Smiles

They say infants imitate people. I think at one month is too early but I figured I might as well start trying during his alert times. It has made me realize I don't smile very much in the regular run of a day. I'm always preoccupied with something - something I did, something I said, something I need to do, something I need to say - and seldom in the moment. Perhaps another reason for having kids is for the mirror on one's self it provides. Having Quinn has made me examine myself, has made me slow down, and has made me want to be a better person for his sake. When walking with Quinn, squalling or otherwise, he often doesn't appreciate it when I try to do something else simultaneously, so I find myself noticing things, indoors or out, that I'd gone by a thousand times before and never noticed. I find myself smiling more, and I find people smiling back more. Even the cats appear to appreciate my toned-down tenor.

As Quinn gets older the treadmill of life will inevitably speed up as we have events all over heck and creation. I hope we can somehow convey the importance of smiles at the same time. It often seems a lesson lost amid the hubbub.