a good thing to be alive

there wasn't much time for contemplation this week, or doing the inner work of preparation i always fantasize about. here we are again, on the brink of a milestone in our family, and we spent the time leading up to it watching cartoons and cuddling our croupy toddler, punctuated by crazy bursts of errand-running and nest-feathering. no time to think. it's like christmas. i always dream of having a long, meditative advent, then suddenly it's christmas morning and i'm tempted to feel like i already missed it. but no, this time i'm choosing to view the croup and the nesting as the meditation.

i read a bit of chesterton this week, and in his collection of essays brave new family is a terrific piece on birthdays. my favorite line (which you'll see on birthday cards from me from now on) is this:

"the first fact about the celebration of a birthday is that it is a way of affirming defiantly, even flamboyantly, that it is a good thing to be alive."

as tomorrow is our baby's actual birth-day, we affirm life's goodness defiantly and flamboyantly. the defiance and flamboyance is only necessary because each of us live right in the teeth of a dangerous and painful world. nothing like having a new baby to drive that reality home. has anyone read children of men by p.d. james? the premise is that suddenly all humans become sterile and no more babies are born. james, whose book is, i think, defiantly and flamboyantly prolife, teases out just how much societal normalcy depends on the assumption that people will have babies and generations of humans will go forward. without that hope, things totally fall apart.

ultimately, of course, our hope is situated on something much firmer than the hope of new babies. the prayer for the new year in the valley of vision always comes to mind at the outset of any change, and it seems fitting now:

i launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, o father, as my harbor,
thee, o son, at my helm,
thee, o holy spirit, filling my sails
[...]
give me thy grace to sanctify me
thy comforts to cheer
thy wisdom to teach
thy right hand to guide
thy council to instruct
thy law to judge
thy presence to stabilize.
may thy fear be my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.
amen.

let's get this party started!