Day 40: Look up at the sky

My world became so small and cozy during the first few months of my baby's life. It has been all about her. As we approach the six week mark, I feel ready to reopen myself to the world again, albeit slowly and carefully. So I begin with the gaze.

The gaze is an incredibly powerful tool. Where we rest it can determine the kinds of thoughts and emotions we experience. Just as we can close our eyes to turn inward, when we lift our gaze to the sky, we can tap into a sense of expansiveness and awe. The sky reminds us of the ever-changing nature of life, one day a subdued gray, the next a rush of low-lying clouds shooting across a brilliant blue background. It is wide and far-reaching, showing us that while our lives are profoundly significant, they are also profoundly insignificant.

Perhaps it can give us some perspective, and help us lift some of the weightiness of each tiny decision we must make on behalf of our little one. Perhaps it can remind us of the splendor and grandness of the world. Perhaps we can find a little levity, releasing ourselves from the heaviness that can come with literally holding a tiny life in our hands.

So look up.