What gives life its dimension is less about the size of life than the sides of life. We wake up to face the day and after a time, the story of our life can be seen in our faces and those we’ve come to know along the way.
FACES
As a child of maybe three or four, I would wake at first light and, if it were Sunday, find my father… still asleep. On mouse feet, I’d creep in to his bedside, just to look at his face. Inevitably, some prod or poke would cause an eyelid to roll up and the game would begin. Then, I was a mirror. If his nose twitched, so would mine. Whatever he said, I’d repeat. A scratch became two – two four… and so on. Finally, in mild frustration, he’d say, “Would you stop mocking me?” A fraction of a second later came my delighted refrain. Dad would get up and I’d trail behind, mission accomplished.
We are born helpless, and hardwired with the need to trust. During our first hours and days, we imprint on the faces we can’t live without. In the years that follow, those same faces nudge us along the paths of our formation, serving as a compass and our reason to be. Like diamonds, our facets are revealed to our parents in the turning light of time. But, with our limited perspective, we see only a few of theirs. It takes a lifetime to know a life, and eternity to know life itself.
Snowflakes have facets too. Who hasn’t marveled at the intricate structure of such a tiny miracle held in the gloved palm of a hand and wondered if any two are alike? But think what we would never understand about snow if that were all we could see. From the rush of shooting snow stars in our headlights to wind sculpted cornices on a mountain ridge, we can see how varied the forms of snow may be. Walking through a fresh dusting of powder on a moonlit night is magical; made so by the millions and millions of crystal faces reflecting the moonlight back to us.
In the living world, the facets of our lives follow our function, so the face of a newborn is a mystery to us. Its story has yet to unfold. But, in all other faces we can see the history, as well as the spirit, that forms through the unfolding. At first, all that we needed was a single face to fill our loving gaze. As we grow older we come to understand that life is nourished by a multitude, each with facets that give our lives shape and meaning.