I thank Barbara Kingsolver for the precious inspiration that has lead me to this moment of putting metaphorical pen to paper. In her book Small Wonder Essays she writes about feelings of hopelessness and fear of the world, or rather the hatred and destruction in it. Contrasting this distraught and lonely rage is the fearless love of her children and her belief in Earth’s enduring spirit. Yes, the planet breathes and endures – long before us and long after we are gone. This is something to believe in. It is the bigger picture, although it is one that we rarely see, as we are inside of it. We’ll never get out. As Kingsolver says, “But the playing field is the planet earth, and I for one have no place else to go” (p. 18).
The question then becomes, “What is there to do?” Again I turn to Kingsolver’s reassuring prose. Quoting Margaret Mead, she endeavors to commit herself to change within her community – the only thing that really does add up to change. Relinquish the talking heads that bear false witness against their viewers. Release the idea that the entire world is at odds with each other and nothing can be done in the face of such tyranny. Renew the community around you in one small way – one small change. That is what I will do.
There are moments of clarity in life, when the collective of decisions we’ve made point in one obvious direction. I was fortunate to experience such clarity in April of 2011 when I met one of my teachers, Colette Crawford – a pre/post natal yoga instructor and a genuine gift from God. Through my training with Colette I’ve come into a greater understanding of my journey into motherhood, gaining new perspectives of women and birth. I’d like to offer these perspectives to my immediate community, as well as the larger community existing online.
This offering is with the hope of inspiring awareness about women and birth and is made with the intention of promoting conscious birthing choices. Please know that I am not advocating a specific type of birthing experience. Rather, I advocate awareness and education about the birthing process so that women can make conscious decisions for themselves and for their babies. It is my belief that birth is a powerful and transformative experience in a woman’s life. We should do our best to empower her throughout this process.
This is my contribution, my offering to my community. I am grateful for this opportunity and deeply humbled by the awesome process of connection, creation and birth.
