“30 inches…”

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 Shared by Kristina Smedley

“30 inches…”
 
That’s how far Kaden can see now!
First, he could only see far enough to find my face and my boobs… survival mode!
 
Now, he can look beyond me and Sennad as we snuggle him.
 
To the lit-up Christmas tree just a couple of feet away.
To the pictures of Washington on the wall above the couch.
To the faces of friends and family sitting near us.
 
And soon he’ll be seeing well beyond 30 inches.
 
Everyone says it will happen so fast.
Too fast.
 
We’ll blink and suddenly he’ll no longer be a sweet little baby, staring into our eyes and the safety of our home.
 
He’ll be a middle schooler struggling with acne and crushes.
 
He’ll be a high schooler navigating social pressure, going to his first dance, and experiencing his first heartbreak.
 
Then he’ll be a young adult going to parties, staying up all night, and making big life decisions.
 
He’ll no longer be insulated by his 30-inch viewing radius and nestled in our arms.
 
Instead, he’ll be bombarded by expectations, pressure, and life.
 
Right now is our chance.
To encourage a sense of self-worth and confidence.
To help him experience and express his emotions.
To model empathy and compassion.
 
To create a foundation that will enable and support him as he expands into his larger world.
 
Something like 60% of his sense of self, others, and the world will be formed before he turns 10 years old.
 
So, now starts our chance to influence that 60%.
 
As he starts to listen to the words I use to talk about myself and others.
 
As he sees whether Sennad and I are loving or cold towards one another.
 
As he notices if we say “I love you” to him and one another, or just assume it’s known.
 
Now is our chance to show him our value of nature.
 
To model compassion towards others.
 
To show up with optimism and a belief in the possibilities.
 
To tell him how proud we are of him.
 
Now is the only moment we have.
 
I don’t have many regrets in life, but will if I waste any of these moments right now.
 
So, I’m treasuring these 30 inches and holding him close, knowing that just as we brought him into this world, we’ll also have to set him free one day.
 
#InspirationallyImpactful
 
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