Feb 17

Feb 17 love where you are

INSPIRATION, LIFESTYLE, LIVE SIMPLY + HAVE FUN, ramble & co. apparel, ramble & co. graphic tees

I did not love labor. I did not love the start of my contractions because I decided to walk our big oaf of a Labrador. I did not love my husband when he panicked and took the long and bumpy road to the hospital. I did not love pushing. I certainly did not love the postpartum recovery period. I could go on, but I think you get it.

But I did love that first glimpse of my daughter. Hearing my husband say “I see her hair!” with tears of awe in his eyes. I loved the moment they laid her on me and I absorbed every feature of her little face as I held the one who had kicked my ribs for so long. I loved feeling the weight of her tiny body spread out across my chest. I loved her smell. Her sounds. Her long eyelashes and fingers. I was spilling over with love.

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And then I did not love breastfeeding, but I loved it when she fell asleep in my arms. I did not love stumbling through the newborn days sleep-deprived, but I loved laying next to my cooing daughter early in the morning as the sun came up. I did not love my new routine of being needed all the time, but I loved that she needed me because I was mother.

If we take a step back and graciously accept that life is meant to have a mixture of good and bad times, maybe we wouldn’t be so afraid of hard things. Maybe we would stop trying to be perfect all of the time. Maybe we could accept the birth pains with dignity and courage because we know that it brings forth new life. Maybe we could love where we are.

It’s okay, even normal, to find yourself in a hard season. Grief, transition, loss, learning, wherever you are has a rich purpose of growth. It doesn’t mean you have to purge yourself of joy and gratitude though, it’s in these seasons that we need these things most! You always have a choice. Find reasons to laugh, be grateful for what you have, for the people around you, and choose joy in this season of growth. Love the journey of life in all seasons. Love where you are.