Incredible writing. "It’s a fresh kind of strenuous, like pulverizing rosemary in a mortar." This line alone captures the life-and-death element that is mothering. Thank you for making this point about remembering death and life together, it rings with truth.
I loved how you tied so many extreme sides of people’s thought lives into one piece here! You couldn’t be more right and every time I read about your inspiration from your daughter I can feel your love and joy.
In the age of abortion, finding motherhood seems like a hidden treasure. One that needs to be unearthed and proclaimed with joy! We are losing what life is and the tragedy of it is overwhelming. I am inspired to work on my own testimony here so that light may shine on the darkness, too!
I love your essay. Instead, came life. Reminds me very much of my experience with my first child's birth. After having a miscarriage in my first pregnancy, I was convinced death would come again. But instead came life. 💗
<3 "Perhaps Paul says women are saved through childbirth because when your own body is preaching the Gospel, it’s hard not to believe it. When the baby came, I knew everything would be okay. What this meant, for me, was that Everything—the universe, the cosmos, all of time and space—would be okay. In other words, Jesus was right. Death would be swallowed up by life. My body pantomimed the story of the world and convinced my heart it was true."
Love this reflection, Amelia. The spiritual parallels and realities birth contain are to me, just as intriguing as the physiological ones.
A factoid you, as a woman, might not notice, is that the very youth that leads to attractiveness, [a man wants a woman and makes babies with her,] usually means the woman's pretty strong. And the man is too. I'm 61, my wife's 54, and we couldn't possibly take care of our 8 kids anymore. And, in a sense, this reinforces a point you made: the very difficulties we avoid are the ones that make us better people. Not just the pleasure and satisfaction their direct presence brings, but the pleasure and satisfaction we get from becoming capable of caring for them.
Incredible writing. "It’s a fresh kind of strenuous, like pulverizing rosemary in a mortar." This line alone captures the life-and-death element that is mothering. Thank you for making this point about remembering death and life together, it rings with truth.
How kind! Thank you for the encouragement
Great article, thank you for writing it. Motherhood is hard work, but has produced so much joy.
Also I'm glad you and your husband both survived! May God give you and your family many years before taking you home.
Thank you for this ❤️ Much needed reminder on day 6 of the fresh new endeavor of parenting
oh my goodness, Allison, congratulations!
Congratulations to you Haley! I loved your piece on thin places. It gave my husband and I language to process the last few days.
One of your best essays.
At Cedars School, Mr. Pinkney always begins the morning lauds by saying,
"This is the day that the Lord has made!"
to which the students reply in a shout,
"Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
I loved how you tied so many extreme sides of people’s thought lives into one piece here! You couldn’t be more right and every time I read about your inspiration from your daughter I can feel your love and joy.
In the age of abortion, finding motherhood seems like a hidden treasure. One that needs to be unearthed and proclaimed with joy! We are losing what life is and the tragedy of it is overwhelming. I am inspired to work on my own testimony here so that light may shine on the darkness, too!
Please do!
Lovely lovely lovely 💗
I love your essay. Instead, came life. Reminds me very much of my experience with my first child's birth. After having a miscarriage in my first pregnancy, I was convinced death would come again. But instead came life. 💗
<3 "Perhaps Paul says women are saved through childbirth because when your own body is preaching the Gospel, it’s hard not to believe it. When the baby came, I knew everything would be okay. What this meant, for me, was that Everything—the universe, the cosmos, all of time and space—would be okay. In other words, Jesus was right. Death would be swallowed up by life. My body pantomimed the story of the world and convinced my heart it was true."
Love this reflection, Amelia. The spiritual parallels and realities birth contain are to me, just as intriguing as the physiological ones.
Recently wrote down my own not super well-formed, more in-the-moment thoughts on it's relation to death: https://lifeconsidered.substack.com/p/suffering-and-the-melody-of-thin
Beautiful! It’s a great exhortation to sing psalms more. I’m so glad your newest baby is now earth side and in your arms.
Amen.
Our bodies, male and female, preach the Gospel always—but we only hear it, and experience it, if we have ears to hear and eyes to see.
A factoid you, as a woman, might not notice, is that the very youth that leads to attractiveness, [a man wants a woman and makes babies with her,] usually means the woman's pretty strong. And the man is too. I'm 61, my wife's 54, and we couldn't possibly take care of our 8 kids anymore. And, in a sense, this reinforces a point you made: the very difficulties we avoid are the ones that make us better people. Not just the pleasure and satisfaction their direct presence brings, but the pleasure and satisfaction we get from becoming capable of caring for them.