Is there anything more validating than a baby’s smile? It is without guile or deception. It is authentic; an expression of the purest joy, connecting one soul to another.
These smiles can become a lifeline in the darkness. When the toddlers are screaming, your husband is gone, and you feel alone. Hopelessly overwhelmed and dying for some me-time, but somehow still alone. These smiles can save you.
It’s all in the eyes. Eyes that say, “I see you.” Despite the chaos and the noise, “I see you, and I love you.” To be noticed in a moment when your needs feel invisible is invaluable to a mother who feels tapped out. A mother who hasn’t slept in months, isn’t sure if she’s showered that day, but knows she hasn’t had lunch.
Who meets our needs when we can’t meet our own? The answer is not just our spouses, but also our children. They give back in their own ways. A simple smile elicited only by your presence. A smile that wants nothing from you but a grin in return. A smile that says, “You matter to me.”
In rough moments where I feel I’m failing, these smiles give me value and encouragement. Babies speak truth, and their smiles share bliss. Their love of you, somehow makes everything better. They view us unconditionally. Not caring about our weight, our scars, our loose skin, or our wrinkles. They love us because we’re Mom. Because we are enough.
In the furor of the day, stop and soak up these moments. Bask in the baby skin and the gummy grins. Think of them as pit stops on a long journey, the places where memories are made.
Jacqueline Pinchuk 
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