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“You were born on a cold winter’s day just as the snowflakes kissed the frozen ground.  The first time I saw your face, when they set you in my arms, you grinned from ear to ear.  A few minutes later, you were sound asleep, all snuggled up against me.  

“I couldn’t take my eyes from your face; I was so in love.  I wanted to see you!  I wanted to see your eyes.  So I tried all night long to rouse you from your long, winter nap, but you were so exhausted from the journey you had made entering this world, that you were impossible to awaken until the morning light breached our windowpanes.  During that long, sleepless night, your name came to me.  It was so obvious what you were.”

“Your Winter Bear, Eomma?”

“Yes, Tae-Tae, my darling, little Winter Bear.”

His mother’s words echoed back through time to him as he stared down at the beautiful, wee baby in his arms.  Brand new.  This tiny, sleeping child was like the newly fallen snow blanketing the earth outside the hospital window tonight.  He was a kiss from heaven.  A promise that all things had been made new in this small, slumbering one.  Today was a brand new day, another opportunity to embrace life with love and laughter.  Tae had been given the greatest gift of all, his very own Winter Bear.  He bent to press a kiss on the forehead of his sleeping son.

He whispered his adoration.  “I love you, Winter Bear.  This has been a good day, a good day.  A good day.  Sleep on, sleepy bear.  I wish you a good night, a good night.  A good night.”

He gazed lovingly at the tiny creature snuggled close to his heart and held preciously in his strong arms, the faithful arms of a fond father.  

Then he whispered a little gruffly, the catch in his throat audible as a tear formed in his eye, “You sleep so happily.  I am glad you came to fly to me.  For months I imagined your face.  Now you are finally here to say, ‘Hello,’ to me.  As I stare down at your beauty, I know that now all the bad days, well, sweet son, they are nothing to me.  You’ve graced my life with goodness.  So sleep like a Winter Bear.  And I will just watch you.  I’ll simply enjoy your breath.”  

Tae watched the gentle rise and fall of his baby son’s chest under his white onesie.  He listened to the sweet sounds of his quick breathing.  Tae’s eyes lovingly caressed the gentle curve of his son’s cheek.  He lifted a finger to trace his soft skin all the way to his chin.  Like velvet, oh-so-soft!  He had never before felt anything like that tender face.  

He bent again to place another kiss on that upturned countenance as he spoke, “I am so happy now that I am with you.  Now that you are with me.  I have eagerly anticipated today for a very long time, my little love.”

“He looked like a blue parrot, eh?”

Tae looked up, puzzled.  The nurse was speaking to him.  

When she saw his frown, she elucidated.  “When he was born, he wasn’t breathing.  He was all blue.  For some reason, he reminded me of a parrot.  Like he’d come to fly to you from heaven.  I’m so glad he found his breath.  He’s beautiful.”

Tae smiled.  Me too.  He is so beautiful.  A gift from God above, sending down a true mark of His eternal love.  

Tae’s very own Winter Bear.