Muggy!
Summer has arrived. Yes, it is September. This is the kind of weather teachers hate--when it is calling from outside, beckoning the students like a mythical siren. As I sit here, I am reminded once again that I am both menopausal and have a tendency to run hot at the best of times. A bit like a turbo car? So, I am uncomfortable, to say the least! I pour out litres of water in weather like this--maybe I should get used to carrying a personal towel around!
I am back in my preparation period. I have a mom at 35 weeks who is entering into her home stretch. And stretch is a good way to put it! But this is a time for reflection, for contemplating the journey, the end of this road and the beginning of another. As our bodies encourage us to slow down, we have opportunities to set up our nest, to create our space in readiness for our new calling. The journey from maiden to mother is right on the horizon, what a journey it is! Our bodies give us signals, large and small, to remind us to care for ourselves, our precious bundle and all that encompasses. Plans are made with care providers, plans that show how much and how deeply we have contemplated this journey. We have the chance to make choices that, for once in our lives, are completely selfish. It may be the last opportunity for selfishness, so one ought to take good advantage of it! Those backrubs offered, foot rubs and massages bring lovers closer together. As Ina May Gaskin has said, Lovin' is what got them in there, lovin' is what will get them out! Time for lovers to remember what drew them together, what is important to them and to renew their commitment to and for each other. Candle lit baths, sips of tea and quiet conversation, planning baby's room or wardrobe, buying strollers and slings and wraps. These all give us opportunities to talk about what is deep in our hearts, what is important to us.
Birth is magical, a miracle. I saw another friend today who is in her last few days--or even moments--of this pregnancy. She and her family have made some remarkable plans around how this baby will join their family, coming from such a place of preparation, both without and within. It is exciting to be an observer in an occasion as special as this. Once again, I can truly say I am so blessed by those who would choose to invite me into this sacred time, to this very intimate moment in their lives. I just do not take it lightly at all! I consider it a calling that I am able to fulfill, a gift from God. And for this, I am so very grateful!
I am back in my preparation period. I have a mom at 35 weeks who is entering into her home stretch. And stretch is a good way to put it! But this is a time for reflection, for contemplating the journey, the end of this road and the beginning of another. As our bodies encourage us to slow down, we have opportunities to set up our nest, to create our space in readiness for our new calling. The journey from maiden to mother is right on the horizon, what a journey it is! Our bodies give us signals, large and small, to remind us to care for ourselves, our precious bundle and all that encompasses. Plans are made with care providers, plans that show how much and how deeply we have contemplated this journey. We have the chance to make choices that, for once in our lives, are completely selfish. It may be the last opportunity for selfishness, so one ought to take good advantage of it! Those backrubs offered, foot rubs and massages bring lovers closer together. As Ina May Gaskin has said, Lovin' is what got them in there, lovin' is what will get them out! Time for lovers to remember what drew them together, what is important to them and to renew their commitment to and for each other. Candle lit baths, sips of tea and quiet conversation, planning baby's room or wardrobe, buying strollers and slings and wraps. These all give us opportunities to talk about what is deep in our hearts, what is important to us.
Birth is magical, a miracle. I saw another friend today who is in her last few days--or even moments--of this pregnancy. She and her family have made some remarkable plans around how this baby will join their family, coming from such a place of preparation, both without and within. It is exciting to be an observer in an occasion as special as this. Once again, I can truly say I am so blessed by those who would choose to invite me into this sacred time, to this very intimate moment in their lives. I just do not take it lightly at all! I consider it a calling that I am able to fulfill, a gift from God. And for this, I am so very grateful!
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