When I was expecting my firstborn, the most common comment I received when people would gawk at my over-sized belly was, “Oh boy, things are about to CHANGE!” They always said it like that was a bad thing–like I should go fill my pantry with canned goods and hole up for the inevitable nuclear fallout I was about to experience.
They were right that things did change when my son was born. Everything changed! But, and I know every mom out there would agree, my life changed for the better. It morphed into something richer and deeper than I knew possible. As cliched as that sounds, it is so inexplicably true.
I honestly feel like I am more “myself” now than I have ever been, and while I am not sure if my comfort in my own skin is due to becoming Mommy, to having recently completed another decade in my life (grrr), or just to natural maturity, it feels nice to be a little more kindred with myself.
Here is a prayer by George Appleton, shared with me by a dear confidante and mentor, which speaks to this…
Give me a candle of the
Spirit, O God,
as I go down into the
deep of my own being.
Show me the hidden things,
Take me down
to the spring of my life,
and tell me my nature
and my name.
Give me the freedom to
grow so that I may
become my true self,
the fulfillment of the
seed which You planted
in me at my making.
Out of the deep
I cry unto thee, O God.
Amen.
Here’s to learning our natures and our names. Here’s to becoming our true selves.
