The Courage to Birth
I’ve been very focused on what courage it takes to birth since my daughter was at the end of her pregnancy. But it also drove me to reflect on the layers and significance of the courage to birth.
In the early morning hours of Spring Equinox my daughter gave birth to a beautiful son who was born at home with fantastic midwives, her husband and me. Her other two sons were happily camping out in the family room for the night, anticipating that they would wake up to another brother.
The force it takes to surrender all that’s necessary to birth is colossal. The strength of will, heart, and vulnerability all collide in the birth channel for both the infant and the mother.
Watching a daughter surf the pains of birth that drive the coping skills to the max is a serious tenderizer. Even after the toughest contractions when she would collect herself, I’d hear her whisper under her breath to the baby still in her belly “we’re ok my love, we’re ok.”
This humbled me, made my heart full and grateful.
Then to be in the presence of pure innocent life with no imprints, good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative, wow! In the purity of this innocence there is a tremendous peace. In that peaceful acceptance of ‘what is’ lives a profound wisdom that inspired me deeply.
The profundity of birth should never be underestimated and we don’t have to have a child to experience it. Every time I excavate my authentic self from all the conditioning of my life and love what is, I birth a new freshness on life. When I learn to be compassionate with myself I nurture a fresh compassion for others. That’s birth.
Today while driving into the city I was listening to Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Living Without Stress or Fear and he was speaking about the fact that nothing in life grows without being fed. Nothing! This struck an sensitive chord in me. I am committed to the practice of mindfulness and aim to be a light in the world, but like everyone also have a shadow side. Somehow I felt my shadow side just exists and is out of my control, but it doesn’t. I see that I feed it too.
How many times in our lives are we at the precipice of something great but lose the courage to make the change, do the push or have the heart it takes to deliver ourselves? We are either feeding the courage to change or the fear. This illumination really helped me.
I’d like to arrive at the end of my life with no regrets, only gratitude, love and purpose for the gift of this precious existence. For that I will dance with joy and happiness, embrace fear, look for the teachings and walk gently with my anger.
Today I pose two questions: What new joy would you like to birth? what are you willing to let die off? Both take a lot of love. ;-)))
Happy new life of Spring,
Gisele
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