Babies don't cry

There are babies all over the villages in Mozambique.  They are beautiful, vibrant and curious.  One thing that struck me is that even though babies and small children are all around, I rarely heard any crying.  I began to pay attention.  The babies were always with a loved one.  They were carried along wherever their mother went or were being cared for by a sibling.  The babies would be swaddled in a wrap and tied closely against their guardian's back.  Sometimes they would sit on a lap or play in the dirt, but there was always a care giver close by.  The babies were engaged, alert and observing who and what was around them.  However, there were very few tears.

In my life I have seen children cry, whine, wail, meltdown, fuss and weep.  I have certainly been one of those kids myself.  I was surprised that I didn't see this with these little ones in Mozambique.  Why were these babies so content?  Were they content?

A thought crossed my mind.  I wonder if tears get them anything.  For example, a child cries because he or she needs or wants something.  They make their desire known and plead their case through an outpouring of emotions.  Many times this display will go on and on until they are satisfied with getting what they wanted.

In a country with so much poverty, there is very little to actually give to a child.  There is not a faucet of running water, a fridge with food and drinks, a toy chest to choose from, teethers or fuzzy blankets.  The babies I saw did not even have diapers.  I learned this the hard way as I held babies without anything to catch their "business".  Perhaps these babies have cried and received only a tighter hug, some limited breast milk and a coddle.

I don't have the answer as to why the babies shed so few tears.  However, I did wonder if these children, some only months old, had already learned to be content with what they had-the warmth of their mother's body and a little rice or breast milk to get them by.  No matter, these children are as beautiful and priceless as our own.