For the last couple of weeks, Sarah has been spending the first half of her nap in bed and the second half of her nap (after crawling to find me) in my arms. Sometimes I read while she is sleeping, sometimes I'm on the internet, but many times I just sit back in the chair, feel her warmth and delight in the opportunity to have this close moment with her. And you know, it's almost humbling to realize that she desires to be close - that she sleeps more peacefully in my arms. What is a mother to do with that type of trust?

For millions living in Western Civilization, what I just described is very likely looked down upon. "What should a mother do? Teach her independence. Why is is she ruining her daughter? Children must learn how to sleep alone. They must become independent as soon as possible. And please don't tell me she is nursing her to sleep. It is so unhealthy for the child - I mean, she is almost a year old - the mother must not be mentally stable. It's ridiculous."

In my mind, that type of mentality has led to a society with too much independence. Marriages are crumbling because it's the individual's choice to go and have an affair or go and rack up thousands of dollars in debt without first discussing it with your spouse. Parents and grandparents are living out their last days virtually alone in retirement or nursing homes because children and grandchildren are too busy to find time to even visit. Children are abandoned because there is no will to take care of them when there is still a lot of life to live. "The neighbor's husband died yesterday? Oh well, I haven't even talked to them once in the past 10 years that I have lived here. Such is life." There is no acknowledgement that our actions effect others or that we are in any way responsible for the way our actions effect others.

In my mind independence has also led to the agnostic society we live in today. "If there is a God, who really cares. I can certainly take care of myself. I don't need anyone." In Scandanavia, where economic equality is pretty much across the board - and the vast majority are living in the middle or upper middle class - you find some of the highest rates of atheism in the free world. We pride ourselves in not needing anyone.

And here I am, with a child who loves to be in my arms and loves to lay her head on my shoulder. She smiles when she goes to sleep beside us at night and smiles in the morning when the first thing she sees - nine times out of 10 - is her mommy and daddy.  So, What's a mother to do? Maybe it won't make a difference in her life and maybe I don't know what I am talking about, but I wouldn't change that closeness and that loving dependence for anything.  I pray that the joy we find in each other's presence will lead Sarah to find joy in the presence of her heavenly Father.