We were strangers when we met.
You so tiny and vulnerable. Me so open, exposed and responsible.
But then your blue eyes locked with mine, and our worlds collided and morphed into one.
There was no distinction of where you started and where I ended. No way of telling whose heart rested in whose hands.
When we are apart, your cry rings in my ears.
When I close my eyes, your smile is imprinted in my mind like the best tattoo.
When you laugh, it’s like I can see the entire Universe lit up by your gummy, all-infectious grin and every part of me feels your joy with you.
You might be learning what it means to be in this world, but I’m learning what it means to love in a way that alters my everything.
I’m learning to surrender with the grace of a butterfly and to listen with the intent of a leopard on a hunt.
I’m learning that trust is more than a offering dressed in prayer and mantra; it’s a lifetime practice of tuning in.
You my dear boy, will learn that life is all kinds of wonderful because you will be asked to grow and evolve every minute of every day.
You will learn that people will delight, disappoint and de-armor themselves when rock bottom hits the rock.
You will learn that the greatest gift of all is to love and be loved, and will love from the very beginning to the end of your being.
You will learn that you are never alone and at same time, that alone is all we have.
You, my baby boy, will choose your own Gods. You will set your own karma and will live a life of your own choosing. But know, forevermore, I’ll be here, watching, guiding and supporting your every step.
On August 30th, 2018, at 7.28am our baby boy Jude Paul Di-Candilo entered the world.