Role Model

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” ~ James 1:27

My infant son is my role model. I believe we could all learn valuable lessons from babies.

Babies don’t judge others. They play nicely with others, they don’t connive or deceive.

Babies welcome a warm smile from a stranger. They will happily interact with anyone they perceive to be friendly. Babies don’t know social “boundaries”. They simply trust people who are nice to them and don't trust people who aren't.

Babies are not racist. They don’t worry about social status, hair color, eye color, skin color, height, or weight. They treat all people – rich or poor, fat or skinny, young or old – the same. The only thing they require in return is kindness and love.

Babies are content with themselves. They don’t stress over money, friendships, or school. They don’t worry about being the biggest, best, or brightest. They enjoy being exactly who God made them to be.

Babies eat when hungry until they are full. They sleep when they need rest. They listen to their bodies.

Unless babies’ basic needs are not being met, their natural disposition is joy. They revel in the joy of living life.

Babies face challenges head on. They try until the challenge is mastered. Babies are ambitious.

So what happens to us in the time between those first few years of life and now? The world happens.