Mother's Blessing

My daughter Ashley will be giving birth any day now.

All the women who love her most gathered on Saturday to honor her. . .
to remind her of her beauty and her strength.

Each of us wrote our blessing for her and created art to symbolize our joining of hearts.

We pampered her, we spoke lovingly to her and joined our lives in love. 

The following is my blessing to my precious daughter. 

Mother’s Blessing

Dear Ashley,

You are about to embark on a journey that will take you to a place you have never been before. Any day now you will have your first child. On that soul-changing moment you will give birth to your new daughter . . . and you will also give birth to a new self.

You will be a mother.

Nothing will ever be the same.

Today all the women who love you gather to celebrate your choice - for you live in a time and place when women have a choice. I cannot promise you an easy road, for I have been down that road. Yet I can promise you an adventure as you learn what it means to love someone.

You might worry about how you will react to the pain of childbirth. I can promise you that anything worth having always follows great pain; for pain opens the door to our understanding. Pain is no less important than joy for you can’t have one without the other.

You might worry that your child will have challenges. She will – we all do. Every parent takes a life-altering chance each time they conceive a child, but the choice is whether you will accept the life-altering privilege to learn the true meaning of devotion in the midst of those challenges.

Don’t try to keep pace with the world around you. Slow down. Find your own pace. Do less. Listen. Savor the moments you have with your child. Create a sacred sanctuary for your family. Live in grace. The great gift you have to give your child is you . . . unhurried and refreshed.

Though it may seem insignificant, everything you do as a mother matters –so much more than you can now comprehend. Your journey will not be easy, but it will be worth it. I promise you that every sacrifice you make for your child will contain your life’s greatest meaning-every choice to love, your life’s greatest purpose.

Love is true power – the only power that lasts.

So join hands with all the mothers who came before and those who will follow you. Feel our blessing, our strength, our compassion and understanding for you - as you join with us to change the world - one child at a time.

Love,

MOM