aren't all mothers beautiful?

here is a picture of my dazzling mother pregnant with unborn me:) i think she is simply ravishing in this picture. what makes a mother beautiful is all the things, seen and unseen, that she willingly does for her child. i know mothers go through much to have bring a little life into existence and to continue that life on after birth, and my mom was no exception. her heart almost gave out during my pregnancy. i don't think i've quite caught a glimpse of what it means to go through the valley of the shadow of death for someone else, especially when i consider how relatively easy my pregnancy has been compared to what i know others go through. i still can't thank her enough for doing that for me. every day she becomes more and more wise and more and more beautiful. in fact, as i near my own brink of motherhood, i think i could stare at this picture for hours and envision the billions of ways she's given of herself to further my livelihood. what shoes to fill.

oh and read this story someone shared with me because it made me smile.

The Middle Wife

I have been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.
 
When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and> talk about it, they are welcome.
 
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.  She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother and I am going to tell you about his birthday.
 
First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella. She is standing there with her hands on the pillow and I am trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.
 
Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.) My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she does not have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down
in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.) And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!) Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push, and 'breathe, breathe.
 
They started counting but never even got past ten then all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, (placenta) so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there. Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I am sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it is show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another 'Middle Wife' comes along.