Twenty five years ago right now, my life changed forever.
In a moment, I moved into the role of mother.
Today Melissa is celebrating her 25th birthday and I am reflecting on that life-changing moment. Up until then, like most pregnant women, I had focussed on Having a Baby!!! I was "fully prepared", which meant I had read all the pregnancy, child birth and parenting books on the library shelves (twice), I had all the "necessities" as proscribed in those texts, I had completed my antenatal classes and packed my hospital bag. I had even gotten my head around the last-minute (37 weeks)shift from natual birth to elective caeserean.
I really believed we were all set!
Isn't it the biggest joke of all - letting expectant first-time mothers lull themseleves into a state of preparedness? As if anything could prepare you for the cataclismic shift about to occur in your life. A change which has absolutely nothing to do with 3 dozen whiter-than-white cloth nappies!
You see, I am still recovering from that shock that hits with more power than any earthquake, cyclone or bushfire and leaves such long-lasting after effects. The laughable suggestion that the umbilical cord is severed soon after birth, when all mothers know it is a magical connection that lasts for eternity, stretching but never breaking as your infant becomes toddler, child becomes teenager and hurtles into life as an adult - all while you were briefly blinking the tears of joy from your eyes.
Mothering really is a career of a lifetime.
2 comments:
What a gorgeous post!!
My little boy turned one on Saturday- seems like yesterday I was vomiting over the balcony waiting for the taxi to go to hospital...goes so quickly.
Oh WOW Yvette, that brought tears to my eyes. To know that my bonds with X and Shan will ever grow is an amazing thought... thank you for sharing such beautiful words. (((HUGS))) from o/s. :*
Post a Comment