Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A precious gift

Today I was at the beach, with an old friend and her two children. She said this to me, and it rooted me to the ground, my toes squishing into the sand where I played as a tiny girl:

I see you with your family, and it makes me so happy: how you have pulled out of this tragic beginning and build such a happy family for yourself. That you would progress with such bravery, looking straight ahead, seemingly undaunted by your past. It is truly amazing, and I think of you so often as a mother.

It has made me feel truly amazed to have two living, healthy babies; both your stories, and some stories of my friends. I realize what a gift it is to have babies without complication or tragedy, and I am grateful. I really do think of you all the time.


I meant to, and I will, say this:

Thank you for this gift of your awareness. I feel so humbly grateful that you have this sight of your own good fortune.

In the moment, I became carried away in the conversation, I was so grateful to have been engaged in the dialogue about my own true start to motherhood without having to have raised this issue myself. We talked for some time, and my heart and head were swimming in it, basking in the ability and opportunity to talk of myself, and my mothering, to say her name undaunted because I was not the one who brought it up.

So thanks, Kristin, that was truly an amazing gift.

1 comment:

stephanie said...

You should be reminded of your strength and bravery daily. You are an inspiration to many. I am glad that Kristin expressed this to you in such a touching way.