We’ve all seen this picture; it’s iconic.[1] I wrote about it in a paper for a class about images and how transformative they can be and this photograph was as equally transformative as the images from JFK’s assassination or the first footprint on the moon. The miracle of birth truly is a miracle when you think about it. When you break it all down, the fact that there is only 1 day out of an entire month that a woman can conceive, it’s amazing that anyone actually does conceive. And, despite the little issue of that one window of opportunity, there are all these other factors that have to be in place in order for it to occur.
I wanted to write about this photograph so as to be reminded of the fragility of who we are and from where we came. And not only the fragility but of the mystery too. Yes, science can explain the how and the why (in terms of what sequence of events need to occur for conception), but there is still quite a bit of the unknown behind it all.
When a family decides to have a baby, I would like to think that it is for all the right reasons, but, as I’ve explored before, I don’t necessarily think that’s often the case. This picture reminds me how our fragility (emotional or physical) can be traced from the very beginning and by bringing a child into the world we should welcome this fragility and cherish it. We all put affronts that we’re one way or another way or we push our loved ones away because we’re afraid to be dependent or vulnerable, and we teach this (often nonverbally) to our children…but our dependence on each other starts at the moment of conception and never truly goes away. Yes, we should teach children to be self-sufficient and functioning adults (because you won’t be there to wipe up every boo-boo), but our fragility stays with us. And our responsibility to care for someone (or something) never goes away either which is why I wish more people would consider looking at this photograph and ask themselves: Am I truly ready for this?
[1] I found the image by going to Google/Images and typing in “life magazine baby photo.”
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