more firsts

Faustina laughed out loud for the first time today. I was giving her a bath tonight, trying to imitate what her father does (he’s away on business for a few days – so I’ve taken over bath duty), squirting water on her belly with the crocodile bath toy. And she laughed. And laughed again. It was the sweetest sound.

Not least because I’d been having a bad day, and a bad week too, freaking out about the state of the world and how everything seems to be falling apart. Incidentally I’m somewhat personally affected in that I have yet to figure out how I will have health insurance as of January 1st, 2009. It’s not impossible but I suspect it will be significantly more expensive than what I have now and we are worried that money will get scarce.

For years I’ve believed the U.S. was on the wrong course economically. No: the whole world. I hate, hate, hate the fact that I’ve been proved right. It is so much better to be in the position of the groundlessly-negative-naysayer than to watch what is happening and know that you’ve been right all along. I can’t help being really selfish about this and feel sorry for myself and be utterly depressed.

But then, she laughed tonight. I squeezed her and kissed her and got myself completely wet in the process and I thought, I am so grateful to you for this, today of all days.