Minds: Your Body Your Self
The Blessingway
“We have a secret in our culture,
and it’s not that birth is painful,
it’s that women are strong.”
~ Laura Stavoe Harm
My Blessingway
by Elisha West
When we prepare for the arrival of a new baby, our thoughts are naturally consumed with the details: preparing the nursery, washing baby clothes and blankets, writing birth plans and packing for the hospital. We don’t usually stop and take the time to pay tribute to the mother and honor the incredible journey she is to embark upon. Unlike a baby shower, which is for the baby, my blessingway was for me. It was a special time for the women close to me to share their love and support, to give me the strength I needed for the last phase of my pregnancy and the hard work—or “labor”—of birthing.
As I wrapped the purple string around my wrist, pausing to reflect on the mothers that came before me, I was empowered by our common purpose of mothering and comforted by the knowledge that if they could do it, so can I. I was adorned with fresh flowers and henna decorations, blessed in song and by positive affirmations. These women nurtured me with good food and loving words of encouragement so that I can nurture my baby. Allowing myself to receive these gifts felt like a comforting embrace that would support me through the birth of my baby.
