A Little Miracle

When we drove to the hospital this morning, it was just the two of us. A few hours later, there were three of us in the recovery room.

Births are surreal. We knew for almost nine months she was coming, but it wasn’t real until the moment the nurse handed her to me. Now, at home with my older daughter while my wife is in the hospital with the younger one, it’s still not quite real.

Holding her while the doctor finished his work, looking into her tiny face… knowing that my life had suddenly changed, was suddenly fuller, that there was another person in the world whom I would be important to… it’s surreal and wonderful and awe-inspiring. That I know why I feelthe way I do, the evolutionary reasons and nuero-chemical reactions that caused me to instantly fall in love with that red-faced little girl, lessened the miraculous feeling this morning not one bit.

I thought about writing about my reactions today compared with those I might have had ten years ago, or those a true believer would have. Perhaps another time. For right now, I’m going to enjoy my little natural miracle, oxymoron and all.