This past week a young friend birthed her second child with all the natural grace and confidence of one could hope for. I am flooded with memories of her spending many days as part of our family:
(Excerpt from my book: The First Five Years)
When my son was very young, I began
to trade caregiving with a dear friend who had a child of similar age. It gave
me one afternoon a week to work on “other-than-motherhood” things. As he grew,
a second friend’s child was added, and later a third. The end result was that,
one day a week, I would have three children visit my home and we would share
books, do artwork, bake, create puppet plays, walk in the woods, build forts or
construction sites with toy trucks in the garden, and have lots of fun. By the
time he was four, my son would spend three days a week, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.,
with these other families joyfully sharing their daily routines and playtimes
and adventures. These children became the large family I was unable to have,
and provided very close and lasting friendships for my son.
Birth is not just a moment in time. It is the result of many moments: in the life of the parents; grandparents and others lining up, one after another in order to arrive at the moment of birth. Seeing my young friend passing her love along to her beautiful child(ten) once again clarifies: this is why we are here: to recognize and support the miracle which arrives each time a child is born.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about birth.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about birth.
Copyright
© Nancy Tracey 2014
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