Soul Magic -- by David McLaughlan

ONCE WE WERE BABIES

There’s one in every class; the little boy (or girl) who just doesn’t fit in. In Fiona’s class it was seven year old Brandon. He was a nice lad – but quiet. Despite Fiona’s best attempts at drawing him out Brandon kept himself to himself.

As part of their religious and moral education course the class was discussing, “Welcoming New Babies Into The World.” (No. I don’t understand the connection either. But I wasn’t in the class.) It was fun. They discussed people’s reactions to a new addition to their family, gifts the babies might receive, and so on.

That’s when a light came on in Brandon’s eyes. He sat up and, for the first time Fiona can remember, thrust his hand into the air with real enthusiasm.

“Miss! Miss!”

Well, Fiona couldn’t wait to hear what had caused this rare burst of excitement. “Yes, Brandon?”

“Miss! I was a baby once! Yeah, I was a baby boy! And my wee brother, he was a baby boy too!”

Perhaps surprisingly, no one laughed. Brandon had finally found something he had in common with everyone else in the class and his obvious delight was catching. The conversation really stepped up a gear from then on in and Brandon was a big part of it.

Now, that’s a cute story – but it’s so much more than that!

Having been a baby once, like everyone else, opened a door for Brandon and allowed him into the group. Imagine if we told the whole world that story! Because, you know what? This world can appear sadly divided, but almost everything that divides us – that keeps us out of the group – is added on after birth.

Think what keeps us apart… prejudice, religion, indoctrination, language, poverty? You name it. We acquire these as we grow. They are piled onto us like heavy clothes.

But before all that happens – oh, before all that happened! We were, each of us, babies! Vulnerable, dependant babies full of awesome potential.

If I could have one wish right now it would be for haters and combatants the whole world over to face each other and say, in the words of Brandon, “I was a baby once.”

What would the response be? What else could it be?

“Me too. I was a baby once too.”

Imagine where we could go from there!

-- © by David McLaughlan

“Finding the extra in the ordinary.”

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