Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Ordinary Arts: Nurturing

Ever feel too tired in the evening because your day has been so full of nurturing?  Ever too happy to rest because your day has been so full of nurturing?   

For some parents, it's a double day of sorts.  Those of us who spend either the earlier or later part of our days nurturing mamas in labor, birth and postpartum to leave or come home to our families who we get to nurture, it can be a very full day indeed.  Sometimes, days like this fill my cup.  After a day being with a mama in laborland, I can feel elated to come home to my own precious newborns, I mean, uhm, kids who grew up just a little bit more when I was away.  Wait, no one needs to nurse?  When did that happen?  All I want to do is snuggle them close.  Sometimes, it's because I am so thankful for a similar birth experience as the mom I was just attending.  Other times, it's because my babes were born gently on their own and breathed on their own and KEPT breathing on their own.  These reminders make me snuggle them a lot closer that next morning or the night of.  The squirms and giggles are way more cherished after a bit of time away nurturing another family into being.  I seem to have more patience as I brush their teeth, hair or the floor after a messy lunch.
nursing my days shy of 9 month old & snuggling my 3 year old right before leaving for the birth of AG
Nurturing is not something that I would have ever thought to describe myself growing up.  I never wanted to have children as a child, myself.  Even when hubs and I got married, we both fully agreed that we may never be parents.  No worries and no pressure and no longings.  The growing love for a precious child came to both of us around the same time after spending time watching families make it work without strollers and bottles and all that other stuff, specifically a long weekend with fabulous Mennonite friends at their home that we always enjoyed visiting.

home from postpartum visits just in time for nightly Advent
My born-a-bit-early, E Bear taught me so much about the need for nurtured beginnings.  My midwife, doula (who was also a La Leche League leader and spent so much time working to establish breastfeeding), amazing neighbors checking in on us, friends bringing food, church buddies praying all the way, and my own mothers encouraging me paved my way into motherhood alongside the most amazing husband in the entire world.  I learned how to nurture and why it was so vital to life, to keeping someone alive.

Because of this wonderful experience in giving birth gently at home surrounded by love then and ever since from my support peeps, my foundation was being built to take on our broken maternal care system in the world.  I was capable of nurturing my tender babe which eventually gave me the abilities to nurture other women and their babes on through.  Double duty, yes but double honor beyond words can express.  Tiring, yes.  Rewarding beyond rewards, yes.  I am a nurturer.  Something I never expected to be but am immensely grateful to know.  Gifted by it.

1 comment:

Mako Shark said...

It is so beautiful to watch your journey.