Babies Don’t Keep
by Nancy Bowers, RScP
When my son was young, I had a crewelwork picture that my mother stitched that said, “Cooking and cleaning can wait till tomorrow, for babies grow up, we’ve learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.”
On this beautiful February morning, I pause to remember to appreciate. To appreciate is to be present to/with the present moment, to the people and situations that are here and now. In this space, where I recognize the many times that I slipped into distraction, when I wasted the opportunity to savor the moment, I embrace forgiveness for myself and others.
This is my prayer:
God is forever present. Whether or not I am present to that awareness, God is here and now. The truth of that Presence is Pure, Unadulterated Love. I am continuously surrounded by that Love; I am marinated in it. That Love is mine for that taking whenever I choose to remember.
For I know, I am made of that God-stuff. I know that like my Heavenly Father, that I, too, am pure, unadulterated love. It is the core of my being. It is what I was made to do. It is what I am here to experience. And furthermore, I know that everyone is made of that God-stuff; even those people who irritate me; even those with whom I disagree, even those I may not particularly like. It doesn’t matter. God loves them all and made each and everyone of them in His/Her/Its image. We are all the Divine expressing. You are the divine expressing.
And so, in this moment, I allow God’s Love to pull me back into appreciation for what is. I remember that babies don’t keep; that THIS moment is the moment of Love as soon as I decide for it. I savor those I love. I am present to them. I choose love as my lens for the world. I let go of ideas that things should be different than they are and appreciate the now. I choose love. I choose to be present to whomever I am with. I choose to remember that anything that does not appear to be love is fear and therefore a call for love and so I answer that call when I can. Will you answer the call with me? Remember, babies don’t keep. I forgive myself for all the times I acted as if they would. You can forgive yourself, too.
But babies do grow up and evolve and, like everything, that evolution is more pleasing in the blush of love. I give thanks for that blush. I give thanks for the time I had with those who are no longer in physical form. I give thanks for those people I love who are still here. And I savor them. I appreciate them. I appreciate God. I give thanks that our nature is Love. Even more, I thank God that Love is eternal and that even separation cannot eradicate it. I appreciate the blessings. They are everywhere.
Then I let go. I allow God to return me to the state where all is Love and all sins are forgiven. I savor the Love. And so, it is.
Amen.