A Child Cries

In the cold, dark halls of the hospital, I hear a tiny child cry.  It is such a soft sound.  At times it is gentle and suddenly it becomes a loud harsh cry.  What is wrong with this tiny child?  I wonder.
I round a corner and see a window at the end of the hall.  I walk towards it to see what I can see.  What could possibly be here at the end of this long, dark hall?  As I approach the window I hear a woman gently sighing and I hear a man proclaiming his undying love to her.  Very quietly I peer in and watch in wonder at what is happening in the room.
The woman lies on a table in the middle of the room and her long brown hair is clinging to her sweat soaked face.  The man is standing beside her, holding her hand and whispering in her ear.  "I love you, my darling!  Thank you for giving me this beautiful daughter."  A silent tear slips down his cheek as he gazes down upon her.  The woman though weary smiles up at him and says, "I love you, too."
The nurse gently carries the child over to the couple and places the baby in her father's arms.  He looks down into the sweetest face that he has ever seen and thanks God for this wonderful miracle.  He gently takes his newborn daughter's tiny hand into his much larger one and begins to count her short pudgy fingers.  He wants to be sure that they are all there.
He then slowly removes the blankets to examine her feet.  He counts her toes and feels the smooth flesh beneath his rough fingers.  He laughs as his daughter wiggles her toes and gives a little smile.  He wraps her up again in a clumsy one handed way and leans close to her ear.  I can hear him whisper to her, "Hello, my little princess.  I am your daddy and I am so happy to finally meet you.  I love you, my precious little princess and I will always be there for you."
His wife reaches out and gently touches his arm.  She has a smile upon her face and a tear in her eye.  He turns to face her and tells her that their daughter is as beautiful as her mother is.  He then gently places this precious bundle into her mother's arms and he stands back to watch as mother and daughter get acquainted.
The woman is filled with so much love for this child of hers.  She looks upon her daughter’s face and is already planning for their future together.  She is picturing all the things that she will be sharing with her daughter.  She knows that all that she has been through has been worth it.  In her eyes, she has the most beautiful child in the world.
The nurse, who has been there unnoticed the whole time, gently takes the child from her mother and carries her into the nursery.  The little child is sound asleep and doesn't know that she has left the safety of her mother's arms.  She will sleep now in the nursery with the other babies.  She will dream her dreams and learn what it means to be alive in due time.
As I turn to leave the window I catch a glimpse of the man as he bends towards his wife and ever so gently takes his wife into his arms.  He places loving gentle kisses upon her lips and in between he says, "I love you."  She accepts his hugs and kisses, because she knows in her heart that he loves her with all of his.  She looks into his eyes and lovingly says, "I love you, too, Daddy!"  He smiles at those words and a gentle tear falls slowly down his cheek.
I walk away as silently as I had approached.  I feel so much wonder and happiness for the man and woman.  Sharing in their moment of beauty was a blessing that I will never forget.  I have shared in the joy of life and feel wonderful because of it.  Someday I am certain, that I too will share this experience with someone in my life.  Until such a time, I will cherish the memory of this day.