I was just looking at video of Polina’s first days on this planet. I am beaming as I hold her in my arms shortly after birth.  She is wrapped in a blanket and is wearing a beanie hat on her head.  Watching that video reminded me how elated I was when she was born, how small her hands and feet were, and how I marveled at her tiny nails. It lasted such a short time. Even when she was a newborn, she was strong, lean but sturdy. She was not a helpless baby. That surprised me. And now, as she is growing, she is a willful child. She is strong, tall, and confident. It reminds me of the human “dignity” I heard about at a Catholic university I attended. She exudes dignity. Open. Honest. Unafraid. No one has taken it away from her, and I pray no one ever does.

Originally written April 6, 2014.