The Wave

Mazin waved on Thursday. He waved! I'm not sure why this was such a big deal for me--and still is. No one else seems especially impressed. I go around announcing, "He waved! He waved!" to friends and family, expecting gasps of surprise in response. We were leaving a group of 4 or 5 people, and when they all waved to him at once, he raised his little arm to do his own version of the gesture. A little floppy at the wrist, but pretty good for 8 months old. I guess it was so big for me because it's his first obvious attempt at imitation. I suppose all of the babbling is also imitation, but a wave is so clearly a wave. (The noises he makes don't yet approximate language--ours, anyway.) Maybe the wave shocked me because it was something he learned, not something done out of instinct. And it served no purpose other than to communicate and connect with us. He is entering the realm of learned social behavior. It's amazing, and fascinating... and also a little scary. I wonder how much having a child will make me examine my own behavior. With a little echo following me around, will I become more self-aware, more careful what I model for him? In helping him become the best person he can be, I hope that I grow, too.