[ the sweetest thing ]

You’ll have to forgive me, when I talk about things that are important I tend to be a bit verbose and use all sorts of flowery language. I do that because I want to do it justice.

Life. At the beginning.

I got to be one of the few in the room when this little girl took her first breath or air, I saw a sister become an aunt, a wife become a mother, and a husband become a father. They waited until this day to find out if they were having a boy or a girl, and I have to dote on them all.

When I arrived, this Momma was already well-versed in working through her contractions. She let her body do the work it needed to do, and she didn’t fight the pain. Wave after wave came and each time she worked through it with concentration, grace, and attention to what her body was telling her. She brought her daughter into the world with a strength I have never seen - and in the middle of it all still thought to make sure everyone in the room was okay. She said “I bet you all are exhausted” and I had to chuckle.

Dad was the most supportive and vigilant companions, had water whenever she asked for a drink, a supportive hand whenever the pain peaked, and a comforting embrace whenever his wife became overwhelmed. He was quiet when quiet was needed, and present each moment. When I looked back at the pictures from the night I realized how much his focus parallelled hers, and saw the love in his actions.

Not just a sister, but a twin sister, who only a few months earlier had experienced her own birth story. She helped bring laughter through the pain, helped keep her sister’s hair up when it fell, and reminded her sister of her strength, and captured video of their first moments as a family of three.

Out of these individuals and the amazing midwives at the birth center, I was there too. It was humbling, invigorating, and precious and I am forever grateful to have been there.