Perched atop the grocery cart, my one-year-old daughter waves at every person we pass as we make our way through the aisles, challenging them with a smile and a hello of the hand. Many smile in return and wave back. Others do not even notice. Whether they are looking or not, though, she offers a wave.
What a talent, not simply to notice all life, but to acknowledge it. And doing so out of love, not saying, “Look, here I am!” but rather, “Look, there you are!”
Just two feet tall and yet she’s got more courage than most six-feet strangers.
Some try to look the other way – to go about their business, to be selfish, to be scared. But the giants can only ignore one another. When a 30-inch angel acknowledges your presence, there is no looking the other way. They smile back, they wave, they gleam. She’s said with her eyes that they exist, that their lives are of importance.
A wave, a smile, goes straight to the heart – for it comes from the heart.
Teach me, child, to love all life.