This is just the beginning....

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!
I feel like everything that's happened in the last five years has been leading to today. It was so exciting to be in the company of such amazing, forward thinking (or should I say backward thinking?) women, all committed or making the commitment to ease the suffering of others and making the transition into motherhood as peaceful as possible. I, like most mothers, can talk about birth all day. It was hard not to spill out every visceral experience I've had during my births, to share my battle scars and triumphs in a room full of people dedicated to the cause. I enjoyed immensely listening to Jennifer and Tracy speaking about the myriad births they have attended, respectively. It really does hammer home the old adage that no two births are ever alike. It is intimidating, on the night after the first class, to envision how i might handle all the situations they described. I feel confident, though, that under the tutelage of these two very different but impressive women, I'll come through this course with the skills I'll need to guide my future clients through the biggest day (or night ) of their lives.
I have great hopes for the rest of the week, and am looking forward to Thursday's class.
An end note~
At the beginning of the class we were all asked to introduce ourselves and share a bit about what brought us there. I found myself unable to stop thinking about the last gal to contribute her name and story. She very quietly, without going into detail, admitted that her son had passed away. This woman appeared younger than myself, so I assume that her child was very young indeed when he passed. As a mother, my heart wrenched for her, as the mere thought of such an event makes my stomach turn and my blood cold. However, what moved me about her admission was that she made it there, in that room, coping with her grief by making a promise to help others endure the BIRTH of their children. Such strength in the face of staggering, crippling loss is more than inspiring. It is beyond bravery as I know it to be defined. It is miraculous, and wherever he is, that child must certainly be very, very proud of his mama.