Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Blessingway

I cannot even begin to share how blessed I have been by your many blessings, beads, encouragement, notes, quotes, poems, and love. I have shed many (happy) tears, and I feel so honored! I will print out all of my sweet messages and keep them near to me during labor. If you are just now checking in, here is info about my virtual blessingway. I wanted to share a few of the beautiful poems & quotes that were shared with me. And thank you so much to everyone who participated and to those who said a silent prayer or sent a positive thought for me. If you would like to add to this, please feel free to leave a note in the comments!

Thank you again; I feel so loved!
Caroline


Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers -strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength. -Barbara Katz Rothman

“Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.” -William MacNeile Dixon

Ordinary Miracle
by Barbara Kingsolver

I have mourned lost days

When I accomplished nothing of importance.

But not lately.

Lately under the lunar tide

Of a woman’s ocean, I work
My own sea-change:
Turning grains of sand to human eyes.

I daydream after breakfast

While the spirit of egg and toast
Knits together a length of bone
As fine as a wheatstalk.

Later, as I postpone weeding the garden

I will make two hands

That may tend a hundred gardens.
I need ten full moons exactly
For keeping the animal promise.
I offer myself up: unsaintly, but
Transmuted anyway
By the most ordinary miracle.

I am nothing in this world beyond the things one woman does.

But here are eyes that once were pearls.

And here is a second chance where there was none.

Willow Tree
Anonymous

I am a willow tree,
Strong, yet fluid

graceful.

I can bend with the wind,
but my roots are tough,

indestructible.

Opening to birth my child
is flowing with the wind:

from a soft and gentle breeze
to a stormy gale
back to a soft and gentle breeze.

My body is strong, but flexible.
It is my friend, it knows how to open.
I am a friend to my body

eating well, walking, and loving myself.

I shall birth safely, freely, openly . . .

among my loved and trusted ones.

I am the willow, flexible

beautiful resilient
endowed with the power of surrender

to the wind rustling through my leaves,

my branches.

My roots reach deep into Mother Earth
Anchored in Her strength
I bring forth life
In joy!

“As women, we are inherently both power-filled and power-full. Each one of us knows on some level that we do have awesome strength at our core.” –from the book Mother Rising

"There is no other organ quite like the uterus. If men had such an organ they would brag about it. So should we" - Ina May Gaskin

"Remember this, for it is as true and true gets: Your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The Creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth well as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceri, elephants, moose, and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body."
Ina May Gaskin (Ina May's Guide to Childbirth)

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.  ~ Rajneesh

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love them all!

Clandestine Road said...

That is just wonderful. Happy celebration of you! :)

Unknown said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oT_UHGgUAA

"My darling, what wonder have we wrought here?
It's weird and it's wonderful, dear

An ankle, an earlobe, an elbow bone
It's weird how it wonderful grows
And it was only me and you
That made this three come out of two

My darling, what wonder have we wrought here?
It's weird and it's wonderful, dear
Oooooo
Oooooo

A'tumblin' in Dublin and next thing you know
A weird and a wonderful show
All tendons and ribcabe and beating heart
A weird and a wonderful start

And it was only me and you
That made this three come out of two
My darling, what wonder have we wrought here?
It's weird and it's wonderful, dear
It's weird, but mostly wonderful, dear"

michelle said...

Those are beautiful! I thought that blessingway was a wonderful idea! I know that when I was in the hospital, reading emails and letters made all the difference!

CourtneyKeb said...

Oh how incredibly cool!!

Since my own heart is bursting right now with baby love, I can say that I cannot wait for yours to be the same.

Everyone should know the love of a little baby, and two is even so much more sweet.

Congratulations!!

Suzanne said...

I came over to thank you for the sweet comment you left on my blog (pillow) and have spent the last little while reading and enjoying your blog. What beautiful thoughts. Praying for the very best as you deliver your little one.

Katie Olthoff said...

Awesome post! I should have read it before i emailed you back, huh!

Josiah said...

This is so awesome. Meredith did a Blessingway for one of her friends- it was so powerful. I loved the poem about the willow tree. We planted several willow trees the spring our daughter was born and did a baby dedication beside them.

Blessings on your child!

michelle b @ every little thing inspired said...

so lovely!! ok so I am going to have to read back and find out what the blessingway is...I am preggo with my third right now and it sounds wonderful...! Congrats to you and family! xoxo

Mandi Miller said...

What a cool idea! This was such a beautiful thing to do! You are already a great mom and that new baby boy is lucky to be part of your family!

Rachel Elizabeth said...

Love it!

Katie Olthoff said...

I've been having powerful contractions for over 24 hours now, and they're starting to wear me down. I've been doubting my ability to do this again without any pain meds, so I came to read this post. Just as I figured, it helped inspire me quite a bit! I'm more confident and more comfortable. Thanks Caroline!