My nephew just had his first birthday.
Last week I stood on the balcony of a beach house with my nephew in my arms, his small fingers wrapped around the slender silver chain around my neck.
I rested my head against his and was startled by just how blue his eyes were.
I began to count back the seconds, minutes, and days, trying to remember a time before the inertia of life had carried me past the point of owning such beautiful potential, when the grace of innocence allowed uncompromised belief.
I couldn’t remember that far back.