…One glance at you and a surging wave of wonder, love and softness floods all the capillaries of the body.

Never ending feelings beat together when meeting you, a dream that has been realized.

Never ending feelings, thoughts, fears, hopes, are bundled up and interwoven between us and this small wonder

This wonder, which is you

Your tiny mouth, the eyes, the little and perfect fingers

The ginger curls which are getting longer, this wonderful softness….

A heart melting smile, funny faces, and rolling laughter like bells

The gestures that you have learnt: bye bye, tut-tut when calling the cat, clapping your hands and hands on your head

To put lids on jars, to make us laugh, to be angry

You are growing before our eyes, every day a new wonder that lifts the heart to overflowing

Through you we are discovering the wonders of life, the miracle of learning – nothing is taken for granted

You have only just arrived in the world and already you have become our teacher

You have taught us:

To put on a diaper

To spoil you, to kiss you

To put you to sleep, to breastfeed you

To place boundaries, to make us laugh…..

 

To ask, to educate, to improvise and investigate

To look forward, inwards and also backwards

To translate expressions of a new language

This….and that….and this…and what?

Songs, stories, games, puzzles

You have taught us to love with new intensity

 

And also to jump all night on a round ball

To cope with difficulties and to continue to grow

You have taught us to be attentive,

You have taught us to be parents

 

Everything that we thought that we knew to date, you taught us to see in a new light

With living eyes of parents

Parents of a daughter, parents of a person

A one and only special and wonderful person

Like every child, like all the creations of the world

 

You connected us with a link in a long chain

To our parents, our families, our congregation, our society

….

Let us continue to enjoy the wonders of your growth

And learn of the beauty of the world through you

Let us succeed in becoming more worthy for you