4. Seeing Others and Ourselves as Blessings

I was recently blessed with a new grandson, Greyson Antonio Tello. What a joy it is to welcome this new little life into our family. My grandma would say each child that comes into the world is a blessing. In essence, we had many blessings in our family. More importantly though, my grandma was sharing that everyone that came into the world was sacred in their own way. It didn’t matter what the circumstances of the family were, when the child was born, or whether the child was “planned” for. In indigenous cultures, all children and, in fact, all people are seen as sacred.

This is so important, and it is actually one of the first rooted teachings for a child when they come into the world. It can, and often does, impact how a person sees themselves throughout their lives. Whether a newborn child is welcomed and seen as a blessing or burden can have a dramatic impact on whether or not that child’s spirit is able to fully connect and trust their family, and others. For this reason... many cultures have traditions and rituals that are specifically focused on welcoming the baby into the family, and the world.

As a child, I remember that when a new baby was born in our family, we had a tradition of going to visit the mother and baby, and taking a plate of food. Then, we were told that when we see the him/her, we had to touch the baby and say something beautiful about the her/him. It was said that if we looked at the baby and didn’t touch it, it might get sick. And we had to say beautiful things because our words had power, and we wanted the baby to feel beautiful, positive energy.

I didn’t understand any of this at the time, but now I know the impact of someone’s perspective and the importance of being connected (the touch) to someone’s sense of self-worth. In fact, researchers now have shown that when someone acknowledges (sees) you in a positive way and touches you (connects) with positive interaction, it releases a chemical in your body that opens your heart and heals you.

Something as simple as taking time to see, acknowledge and connect with people in a good way can strengthen and actually help heal a person. So, I encourage you to turn off your computers, put your phones down, and take a moment to see, acknowledge and connect with someone in a good way. It can heal them, and you as well.

Bendiciones,

Maestro Jerry