Imagine a new mother holding her newborn, just minutes old, gazing into the loving faces of its parents. The new parents coo, rock, feed, and smile at their baby, loving the child deeply from the very start. This is the essence of first love—the pure, selfless love that exists even before anything is given in return. It reflects divine love, the kind that is present before we are even aware of it.

This first love—this love from God—was there for me before I even acknowledged it; He was always there, loving me just like those new parents love their child. It takes a few weeks – usually between four and six weeks until that little one returns the smile. As parents, we just love that.

Like God – how he must love that first reciprocated smile.

We would do well to act the same. Loving, caring, and nurturing others and allowing people to find their own time to smile back. Don’t force it. Like the mother, we win over those around us not with rules or dogma but with patience, kindness, and steady love.