To the degree that we are in harmony, we are good news in our world. Remembering who we are and Whose we are is important to maintaining balance and to making life-giving choices. When they hold their child for the first time, parents are acutely aware of the innate worth of the human person. Incapable of doing anything for herself, an infant cuddles, sleeps, drapes her body over shoulders or knees, and lies trustfully abandoned to the care of a parent. Profound silence and an awareness of the sacred fill those moments.
Love is present and yet unearned.
Times of laughter, effort, accomplishment, spontaneity, bedtime peacefulness, and positive interactions among family members are other occasions when parents are consciously aware of the worth and dignity of their children. These are good times when expressions of love and appreciation are effortless. In a perfect world, harmony is a constant. But we live in an imperfect world where experiences of good times are sprinkled among neutral times and bad times. No matter what the times, it is important that parents communicate recognition and genuine affection for a child on a consistent basis.