Disconnect and Listen with Love
Rosemary M. Wixom
The Savior spoke four simple words: “Behold your little
ones.” The Nephites turned their eyes toward their children. And what followed
is among the most sacred events in all of scripture. (See 3 Nephi 17:23–24.)
I first experienced “beholding” when my first daughter was a
newborn. Her small, insistent cry had awakened me at about midnight, and I was getting
ready to feed her when it happened. She opened her eyes wide and looked for
several long, precious moments straight into my eyes. As she and I truly “beheld”
each other for the first time, I sensed something about the eternal bond we
would share.
The study of neurobiology has confirmed the vital importance
of parent-child “beholding.” According to neurobiologist Dr. Allan N. Schore,
the nonverbal communication of “mutual gaze” is essential to the proper
development of the infant brain.1 In later years, this connection remains
crucial to the development of the minds, hearts, and spirits of our growing
children.
“Beholding” is not giving a casual, distracted glance. It is
the act of attending to another with the heart and mind. It is giving the kind
of focused attention that says, “I see you. You are important to me.”
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