An Ode To Faith by Patrick Overter
When you have come to the edge Of all the light you know, Into the darkness of the unknown. Faith is knowing that One of two things will happen, There will be something solid to stand on Or you will be taught how to fly.
Everyone loves a good baby shower right? Well this time around I feel like I need something more than the typical party to open up gifts for my unborn baby. This pregnancy has put me in a different mindset than my first one. I have experienced a roller coaster of emotions on my journey to have a vaginal birth after caesarean, aka VBAC. This pregnancy I have done more research, tried to be more diligent about my nutrition, been deemed too high risk for my first care provider, and other things of the sorts. All of this has led me on a journey of finding the support I need to keep a healthy frame of mind. On my search, I ran into the idea of having a Mother Blessing instead of a baby shower. From a Winter 2001 Canadian Women’s Health Network article written by Sue Robins, the idea of a Mother Blessing is from the Navajo people’s sacred spiritual ceremony called a Blessing way, which is a celebratory rites of passage that can occur throughout the entire life cycle for transitions such as the transition into motherhood.
The Mother Blessing is not a party that focuses on the unborn baby, it instead focuses on the mother. It focuses on the woman who exists outside of all the other titles that are given to her such as mother or wife. The Mother Blessing is a time where people close to the woman come together to share food, positive thoughts, words of blessings and just time to pour love and confidence into the mother. Some Mother Blessings have activities that include brushing the mother’s hair, making birth bracelets or necklaces, making a birth vision board, washing the mother’s feet, and sharing of positive birth stories. The idea is that this is a time to release fears, heal hurts, and choosing to love the journey and all that is learned on that path (The Blessing Way).
So how do you want to be celebrated? What are some other ways you take time to honor transitions in your life such as childbirth, marriage, or starting another phase of school?