Day 26 - Baby Talk

If you suddenly didn't speak the same language as the ones you love or speech was no longer an option for anyone, would they still know you loved them?  Would they still know how you felt or what you thought and vice versa?  I'm not saying words are bad - clearly as a writer, words are my art medium of choice, but I've learned that much can be conveyed without words, especially in my time with the little girl I care for.  At 15 months, her grasp of the English language is... more on the receiving end than on the giving end.  She understands much of what is said, but she is unable to formulate verbal responses.  This can make communicating hard, and she gets easily frustrated with her inability to communicate certain things.  So, because she can't make it clear verbally, I have to do a bit of guessing and inferring in order to minimize the frustration on her end. 
Today, I had a moment with her in which I saw how love can sometimes require deep patience and time.  We were playing and she was enjoying her markers, when she basically began to have a miniature breakdown.  I had no idea what was going on, and I immediately picked her up and held her to me.  I rocked her and talked to her, and then I figured out that her teeth were probably bothering her.  I held her and talked to her, found her pacifier, and held her until she stopped crying.  This reminds me, in some ways, of the art of love in a relationship where 1 party is aiding in the healing of another.  Sometimes, people cannot express their needs because of the level of hurt and what they have dealt with.  But one of the beautiful things about love is that it will take the time and patience to be an agent of healing, administer the ministry of presence, bring about affirmation and confirmation to empower and strengthen someone, etc. 
Are there people in your life who are struggling to find themselves, give and/or receive love, or just people in pain?  I'm not saying to become their therapist, but I am saying that you should do what you can to create space for that person to find some sort of healing.  And if you are that person, seek out genuine people who have at least some of their stuff together.  Heck, feel free to get at me.  :)