Through a child's eyes

Some insight here: This photograph was taken last month on Salt Rock beach in KwaZulu-Natal. It is of my very sweet little baby sister, Mia. She was sitting on the sand digging a big hole and I managed to catch her mid sand-chuck for a quick photograph. Mia is incredibly shy around me as we only ever spend a couple days of the year in each others' company. But I must confess, I am also incredibly shy around her... as I am around most children... It is something that I am slowly overcoming though, especially with all the nieces and nephews being delivered by the maternal stalk. Suddenly we're surrounded by babies and how much we absolutely love the miracles unconditionally.

I know it seems odd but my family and friends who understand me most of all know that my love for animals runs deep, and yes, some of them fear that my love for animals is deeper than that of the love I could ever have for a child... Whilst it's true, I love my dogs like they were my children, I am also learning a new kind of love - the love for the little souls that are creeping into my life from every direction. Like animals have taught me an unconditional love, children are teaching me the same.

Why I love this photograph of Mia is because, every time I spend time with her I feel like she lets me in a little more. Her smile and eyes are so captivating in this image that my heart simply melts and all I want in this world is to be running on the sand with her again. I feel like through her eyes, or a child's eyes at any rate, we learn to see more good in people than we give them credit for. They find something to love in everything and everyone.