I went shopping with Emma today to look for something she can wear to her Great Grandmother Mary’s memorial service this weekend. We didn’t find anything, but she was such a trooper about being strapped into her stroller the whole time, that I took her to Borders so she could crawl around a little and play with her favorite things in the world, books.

Not long after we arrived, a grandmother arrived with her 8 month old grandson. We started chatting and moved the kids to the floor so they could play if they wanted to. Before we could say much to each other, the babies crawled towards each other, touched foreheads, and… wait for it… gave each other a kiss. It was a typical baby kiss, open mouth and fluttery eyelashes, but it was unmistakable. His grandmother and I looked at each other in amazement. I asked her, “Did they just give each other a kiss?” She confirmed what I already knew.

The babies crawled around, following each other and kissing every now and then for a good 40 minutes. The grandmother and I tried repeatedly to get pictures of the kissing, but our camera phones were just too slow for the kids. At one point she told me that they had been at the bookstore a week ago and there was a little girl there that her grandson had no interest in at all. (No chemistry, I guess.)

I am still completely blown away by it all. There was an amazing and clear communication going on between the two that was not meant for the rest of us to understand. It was beautiful and sweet and gentle, and it brings tears to my eyes now thinking of it. I love that my baby, who just a few months ago couldn’t even see past my face, has already developed an inclination towards love and affection and friendship. The capacity for kindness and the ability to love are, to me, the most important traits a person can have. I am incredibly proud of the kind and gentle person Emma is becoming.