Friday, September 19, 2014

"Quite the Experience"

Very early yesterday morning, my newest nephew was born. Of course, we went to visit him and his family as soon as we could, and we were pleased to hear what a wonderful baby he has been. He wasn't fussy when his siblings held him, and he hasn't been crying much, either, though we had been told that he cried a little bit when he had his first diaper change. That was understandable, as my mom had said, it must have been "quite the experience."

Since then, I've been thinking about what an experience that newborn is in for. I've thought of my own life and the experiences I've had, how my experiences have shaped my personality and helped me to grow. I don't think that Samuel has had many opportunities to show his personality yet, but I imagine that his new life will alter his personality anyway. No one goes through life unchanged.

Life itself is a great experience. Sometimes life is good, sometimes it seems terrible. For some, life is harder than it is for others. Some love life; others hate it. Whatever life experiences Samuel has over the next several decades, they are certainly going to have a strong influence on the man he goes up into and the life he ends up having hereafter. These experiences will not only comprise his mortal life; they will also have a strong impact on his eternal one. Thankfully, it's clear that his parents are up to the task of raising him well.

Life itself is "quite the experience," and I wonder how often we stop to reflect on how our lives have affected us - how they've changed us from the people we were before we were born to the people we are now. I wouldn't be too surprised if we've all changed quite a bit. Life is a life-changing experience. That's why we all came here to experience it. Samuel just started his life-changing life, and none of us know exactly how it'll turn out, but one thing is certain: whatever experiences he has, they will certainly be great ones. Our little Samuel is in for the adventure of his life.

1 comment:

motherof8 said...

His experiences will help shape who he is and his family will have a great influence, but he has already begun to show some of his personality. He is curious, calm, and mellow. Let us watch and see if that's the kind of little boy he is.

Our experiences affect and change us but once we reach the age of reason and self-realization, we can choose how our experiences affect us. The apparently same experience "makes" one person bitter and another batient and grateful. One person learns, simply suffers through. One person's faith dies, another's grows stronger. Much of it is up to us and our attitudes.