Babies Know Best
Grace here. I know we have been quiet for the last looooong while. We have been over here doing our best to practice what we preach and we have been taking care of ourselves. I am finally settling back into our home in Washington after a 4 month long move back from Georgia. I am finally having the mental space (and childcare) to share some thoughts again.
As you may know from my last blog post, my husband and I had our second child last spring. These last few months, we have been spending a lot of time (with COVID safety precautions in place, don’t worry) with people who love him. I have been watching him just soaking in all their love. He does this adorable thing where he leans in for a kiss and gets this dreamy look in his eye as he receives the outpouring of love. Sure there are times when he doesn’t want kisses and he lets us know by moving his body away or vocalizing his disinterest. Mostly though, he leans in for more and goes hunting for kisses.
What strikes me as I watch him though is how readily and freely he can receive the love. I remember thinking this about my first as well when he was a baby. It's as if all the barriers we build between ourselves and our lovability haven’t been formed yet and they are just able to show up with an “Of course, I am worthy of this love. Of course, I am able to receive it.” kind of attitude. I find it such a good reminder to allow myself to receive love, kindness, and support. I am reminded to explore all the places within myself where resistance to that receiving resides. I feel encouraged to practice compassion for all the parts of myself that struggle to believe in my own worth and lovability. And for the parts of me that feel critical of myself for that struggle.
So I invite you to allow yourself to receive all the love, kindness, and support the world offers you with the same abandon and ease that my baby has when he’s getting grandparent kisses. And, of course, because I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention this part too, I also encourage you to spend some time in compassionate curiosity exploring what barriers you have erected between yourself and embodying your own innate lovability. What beliefs keep you from reveling in being loved? What parts of you show up with fear or distrust? What are the roots of those feelings? How can you meet your resistance to trusting your own lovabilty with compassion?
It’s moments like this when I wish we shared images of our children online so that I could show you the look on his face when he allows in the shower of love. Instead I will rely on stock photos and will remind you that we were all babies once and that knowing resides inside us all, even if it is really deep down.
