One of the greatest gifts in life is new life, a baby. My friends Diana and Florin just welcomed their first little gem into the world, Maria. They had wanted a child for a long time, but had to wait 6 longs year for the arrival of their new love. When I asked how he felt it was a mixture of happiness, joy, but mostly contentment. Here in Italy contentment is optimal, to be content is the best thing. I really like how this sounds, it is tamer than happy, but more long-term encompassing.
To produce a child in a world full of problems and be content is to reflect the essence of hope. Today’s world has so many highs and lows, from tragedy to outright giddiness that it seems a rather natural response that so many people are suffering from depression. Rather than expecting to always be happy or joyous, there is a gift in being content with new life before us, content with living out the best we can, content to share our lives with new lives each day. It is the key to calmness and peace.
Tragedy will happen, is happening now for everyone; economic struggles, drought, and violence seem to head up our news sources. Yet you look into the face of a newborn child, see the love reflected in a mother’s eyes, hear the words of contentment and wonder from a devoted father and you experience hope.
A magical thing happens when babies are walked on the streets every day here in Piegaro, in they are greeted by everyone who they pass. Men and women, even children stop to admire and say sweet words to the babes in their strollers. For all people, of all generations this is something to stop and take notice of, this wonderful gift of a child, a gift of hope. If I am sitting working outside my home, it is a gift to me that my friends stop for me to take a break and admire sweet Maria, to talk a bit, to let them talk in Romanian to one another, but all of us sitting together in awe and contentment for this beautiful new life.
My friends, like me, are immigrants here, not native Italians. Yet the gift of sharing their baby with everyone is a gift to us all. It is yet one more thing that united us all. It is the sign of hope and assurance that our loving God loves each and everyone of us, the diversity of people, in this little town, in our world. There is room for hope, there is room for contentment, there is room for love in the face of a newborn child.
How do you experience the appearance of new life?
How do you welcome the stranger, even the new child in your midst?
How do you experience contentment?
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