maanas janam dhula(n)bh hai jag mehi khattiaa aae
This human birth is so precious; one must earn the right to come into the world.
-Guru Amar Das Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 565

I wonder what goes through the mind of a new born baby as the family and friends surround him/her in excitement. Our new baby has been alert ever since birth and loves to look around even when he is, at this time, a little less than 4 days old. It’s probably the instinct of life that prompts them to begin recognising the voices they heard while still confined in the womb of the mother. He clearly responds to the sound of the mother and mine as we have been talk to the baby during it’s time in pregnancy, which is in itself an amazing thing to happen to new parents. Now, as he grows in days, it remains to be seen just how he continues to respond and make that special bond with the parents, and with the rest of the family gang milling around to catch a glimpse of him, and to fondle him . . .

My sister told me a wonderful thing yesterday about the birth of my son. She said that God chooses the parents a certain soul to be sent into this world, knowing that His precious gift would be placed in capable hands with the support of Waheguru.

bhaee paraapath maanukh dhaehureeaa
This human body has been given to you.
gobi(n)dh milan kee eih thaeree bareeaa
This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe.
-Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 12

The moment a person is least prepared for the coming into this world your very own flesh and blood. This amazingly wonderful moment caught me by complete surprise, though it had been in wait for yet another month to go. Our baby came a month earlier than due, born on 23 November 2006 at exactly 1.29pm. It worked to our advantage that we had been aptly prepared for the coming of a new soul into this world, from a world we will probablt never ever know.

For seven weeks, my wife Navjit Kaur and I attended Lamaz Classes as we prepared to become parents. The classes were thoroughly informative and not just a ‘delivery room’ wait. It speaks of teh role of the partner during the pregnancy into the delivery room. So much happens in these nine (eight in our case) months – you see your partner go through several changes and just how uncomfortable it gets as the weeks advance. Besides all the strange food cravings and mood swings, it’s all a part of the plan to see each other through.

As part of our lessons, the partner was encouraged to be present in the delivery room and offer the mother all the moral support she needed at that time and to also witness first hand the coming of the baby from one world, into this one. I thought I was going to pass out and I couldn’t stand the ‘gore’, but by staying put and pretend to be strong so that Navjit wouldn’t feel alone, I witnessed a miracle. First I saw the head pop out and then the rest of the body wiggle out like a slippery fish. I will never forget just how amazed I was at witnessing the birth of our baby. It was a beautiful little Singh, exactly what Navjit wanted (I was hoping for a for a Kaur!). As soon as he was whisked away to the weighing machine and clean-up, I was magnetically lured towards him, camera in hand, clicking away pictures and videos of the first moments of my son. He looked at me, as he let out his cry, letting us know that he is come into this world. It was a beautiful moment because he saw me before he saw his mother – and he must have been wondering, ‘Is this the one who has been talking to me when I was in the womb and I kicked and punched in excitement?’ He did seem to make an instant connection even when he was placed on Navjit’s bossom to get him to recognise his mother’s touch. He was so aware of everything and he looked around as if in attempt to recognise and accept the world has been sent to.

When I left him for a while having taken some pictures and went back to Navjit to be by her side as she was being stitched, I don’t know what emotions came over me and I burst into sobs, ‘Look Nam, our baby!!’ I cried more than the baby. It was such an overwhelming experience and coming to acknowledge that I am now a father, the tears were flowing uncontrolably. ‘Wow, our baby! Is that my son? You mean, I’m a papa now? Are my facial features reflect in him?’ All these questions raced through my mind as I looked at him, kicking and crying as he was axamined by his pediatrician. But above all these emotions, the greatest one still remains a mystery . . .

What was he in his past life? What world has he been roaming around before coming to be our son in this life? What has he left behind to come into this world? I once talked to him as he was wide awake, still just a day old. ‘Hey son’, I said in Punjabi, ‘when you grow up, tell me where you’ve come from, what was it like back there? Did you meet God? Do tell me and teach me, son.’ Such silly questions flow through the lips without your intentions – natural responses when you see a new soul born as your son.

Soon, he was all wrapped up, and ready to be cuddled and taken care of. One look at him says everything about the Divine Plan – here’s a little soul to be nutured and to be taken care and it’s our responsibility to make him a good human being, to become a God-loving soul and to make a place for him in the world that we are all part of.

poothaa maathaa kee aasees
O son, this is your mother’s hope and prayer,
nimakh n bisaro thumh ko har har sadhaa bhajahu jagadhees
that you may never forget the Lord, Har, Har, even for an instant. May you ever vibrate upon the Lord of the Universe.
-Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 496