They gaze at each other, sunlit beings linked by blood, separated in age by three years & one month, joined forever in the love of sister & brother.   

   Two week old Reed owns that baby's ability to stare unselfconsciously because he is, in fact, not conscious of his selfhood. Currently, he is immune to embarrassment or to having his gaze misinterpreted. 

   Why cannot we regard each other the way Reed can? We are taught to look people in the eye when we talk with them. But, when conversations fall silent, the human gaze is quickly averted.

   Some say we cannot stand the intensity involved. But the antonym for "look" is "ignore." When our eyes turn away does this compromise our attention & dilute our presence?

   Perhaps the professional caregiver's synonym for "look" is "examine." But, our eyes can hold enormous power.

   To look with love is to heal. The synonym for the healer's "gaze" is "love."

-Erie Chapman 

Photograph by Tyler E. Chapman