Sometimes from innocent moments come beauty in its rawest form. Sometimes we are looking for nothing, yet see what entices our eyes. And even sometimes, what we see frees us from external world events and externally imposed expectations, and brings us to such a special moment that fills our hearts with joy. It makes time stand till, so we can take it in. Don’t dare to blink! Even though this is just a moment, it can last throughout our lives. I hope it always will.

I awakened this morning with both a smile and a feeling that I hope will never leave me. I remembered how one of our sons and his girlfriend call one another “Baby.” Doesn’t that sound nice? I get it; not yet sounding earth-shaking to you, right? The thought that immediately followed this musing WAS earthshaking to me, and hopefully to you, too.

From the moment we are born, we begin to age. One day we are infants mastering holding up our heads, toddlers learning to walk, children going to school, and young adults taking our driver’s test. Then, many of us see all those tasks begin anew, albeit this time, watching our own offspring follow suit. Beautiful. So heartening. Our own unique and amazing miracle. Throughout this entire process is something called love. A love that has the potential to be so sweet that this loved one develops a direct phone line to our heart. The birds on the telephone wires are whispering love songs. Our hearts have opened wide, and their soul has danced on in. From that point on, the “phone” rings at will, all day and night. We answer with a unique joy that only we understand. Still mundane? Read on.

All of this leaves me wondering what we will call this person. The one person who knows the number that is unlisted to all except us. It’s like the string connected between two cups that we made as children. It feels like we’ve known one another’s souls since we were children. How sweet. When I hear our son and his girlfriend call one another “Baby,” I find myself experiencing an instant case of “the happies.” In that moment they are speaking their own “love code” that, to them, means so much. But what about tomorrow? And the day after? The one after that, too?

My thoughts then moved me towards the future. Their future. I picture them in their old oak rocking chairs on a creaky back porch (or maybe the creaking is from their Osteoporotic joints!) They watch their own kids bonding with their children. They take in all the blessings gifted to them. They take one another’s hands, kiss softly, and call one another “Baby.” The one thing that has defied time and instantaneously, yet unequivocally invoked a direct phone call to their hearts, continues to call! When that phone rings, we know it’s our “Baby,” and it brings an immediate heart-smile. (If by that time we are partially hard-of-hearing, and we don’t hear anything ring, rest assured that our souls are so connected, we don't even need the sound of a ringing telephone to announce our love!)

There you have it. This, my friends, is the everlasting, age-old, time-tested recipe for taking the time to notice the little things, the love code, and the name that will always beckon our hearts to the one place that is uniquely ours. So, my advice is this: don’t leave the pie on the windowsill to cool. Eat it while it is still hot. Savor the essence of the sweet baked-pie smell, and taste this glorious endeavor you have made for the one who has given you the ingredients necessary to become who you are. Don’t even waste a moment to remove your apron. Leave the egg shells, apple peels, and beaters in the sink. This is the time. There will never be a better time. Like the pie, time is sweet. The crust, like us in our old age, is fragile, yet the windowsill and the pie plate are strong…like our love. You see, love is both endless and ageless!

Eyesight fails, but true love never does. Our hearts continue to recognize the sweet touch of our sweet love. Our faces are softened with lines, but akin to telephone lines, they continue to relay the message our smiles convey. Especially, when we are old and forgetful, our phones will have redial. Always, simply forever, know that our hearts cannot forget all the things we have shared, all the times we called one another “Baby.” It’s all good. Just call me “Baby,” and never, ever stop…