My new little friend

I made friends with a little baby at Mass today. She's about three months old, I think. I'm not sure why, but today I was kind of hoping this particular family would sit in front of me so I could see the baby. I know it's crazy - particularly after my experience last Sunday at the grocery store (we're still trying to get through all that yogurt) - but I just wanted to see her. I wanted to be close to a baby today.

She started to fuss mid-way through the Mass so her Mom picked her up out of her carrier. We were almost eye level then, and that's when the smiling began. Either I'm ridiculously funny looking, or she knows something I don't, because she just kept laughing and smiling at me. I started to wonder if she really DID know something I don't. I've heard - and believe - that children have a sense that we, as adults, have long since lost. I believe they can see what we can't and have memories of heaven that we've forgotten we ever knew.

I'd like to think that she was smiling because she knew we're going to be blessed by another little one some day.

I realize it's far more plausible that she was smiling because that's what babies do, but I'm happier believing that she has a direct link to the heavens and knows that there's a wonderful blessing in store for us. Maybe she and Thomas even crossed paths and one of her smiles was meant as a gift from him to me. I'd like to think that too.

I'm probably insane for thinking, let alone believing, any of this, but it's a rare day that a baby brings me as much comfort as that little girl did today, so I'm opting to believe that anything is possible and that she did have a message from heaven that, today, I was finally receptive enough to hear.