Sunday, June 20, 2010

Loving-kindness


I am consistently amazed at how this beautiful Universe works. I love the little (and big) messages that are given to show me "the way." Yesterday, I had a great friend tell me that my last blog post inspired her to "speak up" and call 3-1-1 to report two dogs left in a hot car with the windows rolled up. This makes me think about all of the wonderful changes that are going to be made when we all support and act with loving-kindness.

I have also been trying to sort through my feelings about activism and how to do it without aggression and anger fueling my agenda, because anger and aggression just don't "feel right." So, here is the message I received today from Pema Chodron's book, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times...

When we hold on to our opinions with aggression,
no matter how valid our cause, we are simply adding
more aggression to the planet, and violence and pain increase.
Cultivating nonaggression is cultivating peace.

How perfect is that! I have a sense of peace this morning that I will and am making a difference in the birthing world. I will ask for the patience to help me maintain my nonaggression and subdue the feeling of immediacy that begets agendas and anger while overshadowing the essential aspects of clarity of mind, and openness.

I am excited to continue my journey and witness the beauty and empowerment of women experiencing the wonder of conception, pregnancy, birth and mothering.

Much love, peace and gratitude to all of you that share the path of loving-kindness!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Speak Up!


I read a quote today: "Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes." So, here I am...speaking, and if you could hear me or see me...I am shaking. I am shaking because changes to our maternity system need to happen NOW! I was also inspired by something else I read the other day...set your goal to be like someone you admire. Today is the day that I am going to start speaking up, speaking from my heart so that I can start to make changes like all of those women that I admire so much. After I rattled off my passions and goals to my dad today, he asked me, "So, you are going to be a shaker?" Yes, Dad, I am going to be a mover & shaker. I am going to continue researching and start talking and writing louder, because my whispers aren't helping moms and babies and families. I am committed to help other women find their voices, so that they can speak what their hearts are telling them and assist them in breaking through the cultural ideology surrounding birth in the US. I will make mistakes along the way, and I invite you to point them out to me, so that I can learn from them. This is the only way to invoke a transformation that will save and improve lives. Today, I vow to speak my mind, even if my voice shakes. Do you?

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Birth and Death


I was honored to attend the birth of a beautiful baby boy just recently. Because he died at 40 weeks gestation, I am still processing through this birth. I am going through all of the emotions and nurturing them as they arrive. Hopefully, I can express my thoughts soon, so that my words will be helpful to anyone who may be confronted with the death of a baby. Until then, much peace and gratitude to all transformed by this sweet baby and to all of those who have assisted me through this process.