A Virtual Mother Blessing

This post is one of a series of posts from the Irish Parenting Bloggers to welcome two baby girls to two of our Irish Blogger Mamas,  Lisa and Aine, and is also dedicated to two other mamas who are close to my heart and due any day now, Lydia and Erin. 

We live in a baby-centric world which is delighted to pat your belly and coo over your baby. 

We offer baby showers. To shower the glowing mama-to-be with gifts of nappy cakes and baby bouncers, vests and toys. But somewhere, in the midst of it all, something rather important is often lost....

That's right. YOU. Dearest mama.

We ask how's the baby? What's the baby up to? When are you due?

But not the most important question of all - how are you?

How are you mamas? In the complexity of it all, can you share your longing, your worries, your hopes, your boredom, your excitement, your multiple discomforts, the love which pierces your heart and makes it feel it might explode,  your bone shattering exhaustion, your need to be held and cared for, and your tigress desire to be left alone...

In our community of women, we offer something different to the traditional baby shower: a mother blessing. Something which is dedicated to caring for you. Nourishing you. Holding you. Loving you. Listening to you. 

A sacred circle surrounding you. Sharing our wisdom. Hearing your fears. Massaging your hands, soaking your feet, painting henna on your belly, brushing your hair, lighting a candle each for you wishing you blessings on your birth and new child. Sometimes we string a necklace with wishes or birth stories, we burn fears on the fire, other times we make a belly cast and paint it, or trace clay labyrinths with our fingers. And finally feasting with you and filling your fridge and freezer with nourishment for the weeks ahead.

This I offer you here. And I light a candle for you.

Blessings on our children, for they have a long way to go,

Blessings on our elders, for they have travelled far.

And blessings on those of us in between, for we are doing the work. 

Please accept this virtual mother blessing to nourish your body and soul, which never for a second stops nourishing that precious life within.

May it sustain you during the birth, and in the days and weeks after. 

May you learn the art of surrender with grace. May you be humbled in the face of your immense power. May your heart be broken open with tenderness. May you be held up on wings of love.

Blessings on you, dearest mama. 

x

Check out yesterday's post at The Clothesline             

And be sure to check out tomorrow's at The Nest