My passion for children, child development and child care started unexpectedly and unplanned. I was in my late twenties and very visibly pregnant, anxiously awaiting the birth of my first child. I was insecure, not knowing what to expect from my soon-to-start state of motherhood. If I added up all the times I had previously spent with babies I could maybe sum up 60 seconds. Of course, I had read a number of relevant books on child birth, infant care, childhood diseases and the likes, but the closer my due date approached, the less prepared I felt. That is when an unknown, self-proclaimed neighbor knocked on my door- armed with an infant and a huge diaper bag. The perfect stranger stated that she was in a dire emergency and needed instant child care for her infant daughter – rendered by no one else but me.  I informed the stranger that I would hardly qualify to watch her baby due to lack of experience. “By the size of your belly, you don’t have much time left to learn,” she said as she shook her head in disbelief upon my obvious ignorance, pushed the baby into my arms and dropped the bag on the door step. She left with a smile and said “Don’t worry, I trust you.” There I stood with baby in arms, jaw dropped open, watching the neighbor drive off. When I dared to look down, I looked into two big twinkling eyes watching me with curiosity and what seemed to be a hint of glee. I remember spending a most enchanted afternoon with this baby. She did not cry or fuss and proved to be a great companion. I learned that babies are people too. I learned that babies have a great ability to communicate and a large variety of interesting responses. Babies are full of curiosity and strive to discover the world around them. I will never forget that afternoon as the key moment that defined my personal and professional development for the next 30 years.