Blessingway

A couple weeks ago, one of our best friends hosted a b.lessing w.ay for me. It was so loving and wonderful! We first came across the idea while we were on a mini vacation at the beach and were reading the The A.rt of B.irthing and in the book it describes this ceremony that many cultures do to bless a new mother and share stories of motherhood and birth and just really lift up and honor this new journey. Our friend S took the idea and ran with it, searching and reading all she could find on them. They were started in the native american culture. I gave S a list of women that were special to me for various reasons and in the invitation she asked them to bring a bead for my birthing necklace and a poem, verse, song (the song playing now is one that a friend brought to share) or words of wisdom about mothering and/or birth. We started the evening with each person telling how we knew each other and what was special about their relationship to me and then a short meditation to center and quiet us from our day. During the meditation we were asked to close our eyes and picture our hands and the hands of our mothers and all those that had mothered us in our lives. The use of our hands for both good and ill in the world. We placed our hand over our heart and over our wombs, both the full ones (three of us are pregnant) and the empty or where they used to be for the mom's who no longer have theirs. We were asked to treasure the gift of being female and mother and all that that brings and means.

We then went around the room and each person shared the bead they had brought and why they had chosen it and then their selected or written words of encouragement and love for me as a person, woman, friend, sister, mother. It was one of the most special times in my life. One of those times like our wedding when I wanted to start all over when it was done. Just stop the clock and be there a while. We laughed and cried. And felt such a connection to one another, it took me days to be able to wrap words around my feelings. I was given a beautiful gift that night that I will always cherish. Above is a picture of the necklace that we made from the beads. Each one has a special meaning to me both because of who gave it and also why it was special to them for me.

After we shared a meal, each person was given a candle to keep lit while I am in labor. I said I hope these are those short 4 hour burning candles... and they assured me they were :-)