Out of the Mouths of Babes

Mommy, before I was alive, was I dead like Daddy?" 

Out of the mouths of babes, right? 

This babe was a toddler, named Katie, asking her mom, Lucy Kalanithi, widow of Paul Kalanithi, author of "When Breath Becomes Air" about that place before and after we are alive, in physical form here on Earth.

The glorious colors in this image of an 11 day old embryo, having already gone through the zygote and blastocyst stages, is truly remarkable. 

It reminds me that the whole point of life - and death - is to do it fully.

The embryo will go on to become a fetus and then, after its journey through the birth canal, a baby. It will hopefully go through all the developmental stages of finding its toes, crawling, talking, laughing, running and jumping, reading and writing, learning how to be part of a family, a friend group, while discovering its own, authentic journey through life. 

Hopefully life will be full of these glorious colors for this person. Hopefully they will know love, meaningful work, be part of an extended family, stand up for what is right and true, learning all the while, and living fully until it is time to die.

And when it is time, may they be ready for their colors to fade out.