Dear Mommies to Be,

As an expectant mother you eagerly anticipate your personal miracle. You will have parties that shower you with gifts of tiny shoes, cuddly blankets and silver rattles. All of these are lovely distractions while you wait patiently (and impatiently) for your bundle of joy to arrive. When your baby finally does appear, he or she will be naked, and yet he or she will be carrying two important spiritual gifts for you. All parents receive these gifts, and yet in all the fuss about how much your life will change for the worse (no freedom, no sleep) people forget to mention these amazing gifts that are part and parcel of every child’s arrival.

The first gift is the gift the expansion of your heart. The heart you have beating inside you right now will shatter into a million pieces as new life crashes into your world. Your new heart will be marvelous, possessing the ability to be both 100% full of love and still always having room for more love. You will love your child completely, absolutely and unconditionally with your entire heart the moment he or she is born. And yet, in three months time you will look back to that first love and say it was nothing compared with the love you feel for your child now. This will continue throughout the rest of your life. Every ounce of your heart will operate at full capacity, and yet it will continue to grow. The best image of this comes from Dr. Seuss’ Grinch whose “heart grew three sizes that day.”

Your second spiritual gift will be a depth of understanding as to the profound love your own parents have for you. Upon your own birth they received expandable hearts and have loved you completely, absolutely and unconditionally for decades. Any hiccups or chasms you may have experienced over the years never truly disrupted this elemental love. Part of their joy at becoming grandparents has nothing to do with the new baby. It is their joy that you finally know how much they love you. As your newborn softly coos you will experience a flash of anticipation towards your own child having a child, so they too will understand the profundity of your love. Of this moment.

Babies are born every minute of everyday. Most people get to experience the love of family. You are one of millions and millions. The commonality of this everyday miracle in no way makes it ordinary. Rather, it is quite the opposite. How extraordinary it is that we live in the midst of miracles every single day.

Have a beautiful birth and God bless.

Love,

mamaguru