WHILE looking down at an infant, one’s sense of wonderment is only measurable by the number of questions that race through your head. What’s on your mind, baby, do you recognize me little one… and so on.
Sponges, they are and they gladly soak in all that is available. With the world practically at their feet, I often wonder, do they at that stage realize it? Do they already find enjoyment in their new world that is constantly filled with surprises and endless exploration?
I have seen babes propped on top of tables by their parents and almost all of them instantly notice the sudden change in height. Is that reflex innate? What other secret knowledge did you bring with you?
It is just unfortunate that we do not remember our infant years. Not even a day. Is there a reason for that? I vaguely remember an early year when I was still carried like a babe in my aunt’s arms but I was already talking then, so that doesn’t count. My only other pre-school memories consisted of running around the Ponciano neighborhood with our friends and playing war games our elder brothers and cousins have seen in the movies. But that had been at an age when we were not allowed inside movie houses yet, so we must have been really young then.
If only we had retained all those vivid memories of infancy…but what of it then? For one, if we searched for the lone word “infant” today on facebook, we would not only find the usual list of infant apparel, infant toys, infant food and such. One might find infant blogs like “That first milk from mum” or “My first fall”. Not only would our diaries provide us with a broader perspective of development, but I would now really be quite curious how Freud must have felt had some babies viewed his work out and refuted his theories. Would he be even famous at all?
But then again, looking back this cherub, what’s the future going to be like? There’s a tiniest tinge of longing there, wish I could be on that journey too, but it’s only for but a brief moment.
We’ve witnessed a line of babies in the family who’ve grown up to be parents like ourselves, with babies of their own, and grandchildren even. So, infant memories or not, you’re sure to move on along like them as well. Well just be glad to watch you grow and wave to you godspeed.
