As I lounged on my sunbed in Fuengirola a few weeks ago, I was drawn to the segregation of duties within a beautiful young Spanish family who were sat a few metres away from me.

As a young mother played with her son, aged approximately 4 years old, at the edge of the sea in front of me, her husband/partner was sat on his beach towel with his baby son of about 6 months old.

The baby was sat on the same beach towel, bolt upright and as his father spoke lovingly to him, both his arms lifted at the same time, and if I could have seen his little face, I am sure it would have beheld the broadest of smiles.

The reaction of the baby to his father’s words and care, reminded me very strongly of the reaction I get when I pay attention and listen to my inner voice.

It is a feeling which speaks of a connection with self at the very deepest level, and overtime it allows me to develop more fully my potential in the world.

As the young father protects and nurtures his baby with his love, so too does the inner dialogue with self, protect and nurture me and this gives me the confidence, belief and strength to reach out past the barriers which have kept me closed in, to a more courageous and compassionate existence.

Thank you beautiful Spanish baby boy for teaching me so much as your back was turned away from me.

It was your connection with your father through your smile which I could not see, and in your involuntary arm movement which I could see, which helped me to deepen further my understanding of self.

My next blog will be: Conflicted

William Defoe