Sharing life, practicing vulnerability
Hello loved ones,
These past several months have been oh-so-wonderful and oh-so-full.
My soul has cracked open, and the colors within it have grown and changed.
It has been a busy summer! My sweet husband and I have moved to a different town, I traveled to Houston and completed my fourth module (semester) of midwifery school, I've joined in celebrating my older brothers new marriage, I have prepared my Mama Movement class curriculum, and lastly... I have attended nine extraordinary births. In between all of these events, I have found myself digging deeper...especially digging deeper to know myself as a woman and digging deeper in my marriage with my dear husband, Tanner Blake. It's been such a season of beautiful, extraordinary growth!
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Witnessing birth has forever changed me.
There is absolutely nothing like the energy of a room that contains a woman traveling through the labyrinth of labor to make it to her destination. There is nothing like honoring the rite of passage of motherhood, as sacred and luminous as it is. There is nothing like the energy of the birth room, as it changes colors with its deep jewel tones vibrating through the warmth of the air. With the cries of new life and the cries of new parenthood, birth is entirely transforming.
I am grateful. With each birth I have departed, a family is cuddled up in bed. Their faces are tired, but full of joy. Before I close the door to leave, I have thanked them. I have thanked each and every family for letting me be present. For what an unbelievable gift it has been! I am grateful.
As a woman, my confidence in my body and my femininity have expanded and flourished as I have witnessed birth. I have now seen, in extremely intimate detail, what the female body can do... and wow... it is absolutely powerful and absolutely breathtaking!
As a doula, my boundaries have been pushed and pulled and tugged and challenged. Holding space is difficult, but entirely and absolutely worth it. As my hand or my voice support a laboring mama bear, prayers flow within me. It's been a learning experience, to say the very least.
As a student, my passion for midwifery has ever increased. I have seen but a sliver of what it means to serve in this profession, and I am even more in love... Even through tired eyes, and a bit of a "sensory overload. :) The women who I have had the pleasure of training beneath are some of the most intuitive and brilliant people I have crossed paths with. They have guided me through experiences I'd never thought I'd be in, and have taught me skills both ancient and modern. I am grateful.
A dear friend and peer of mine texted me the other day with this:
"I'm pretty convinced your heart gets stretch marks in this line of work ... as these mamas, papas, and babies grow within it."
Oh, how she speaks truth.
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Wishing you a happy September!
Peace and blessings,
