When I gave birth to my daughter seven weeks ago, I gave birth to one of my greatest teachers.
Her lessons started in utero. I would be nervous that something wasn’t right and she would give me a swift kick to let me know everything was fine. But then sometimes I wouldn’t feel her move at all and I’d panic—imagining her in distress—only to see her in the ultrasound hanging out and playing with her toes. It was like she was saying, “Chill out, mom, everything is going to be okay.”
In this way, she helped me learn to let go and trust my body. And in the delivery room she taught me how to be stronger than I ever thought I could be through 31 hours of hard labor.
Of course, now that she is here, the lessons keep coming.
Here are 11 things my newborn daughter has taught me about life:
1) When feeling fussy, get naked and cuddle.
2) Eat when you’re hungry.
3) Don’t feel obligated by anyone else’s schedule; make up your own.
4) Sleep when you’re tired.
5) Just because you do something one way one day does not mean you have to do it that way again—ever!
6) Use the bathroom when needed.
7) Slow down—why go anywhere in a a hurry?
8) Look at the world with wide eyes—be fascinated by the supposedly mundane.
9) Smile when you feel good, cry when you don’t, and giggle just because.
10) Have little patience for people who stare at their phone—life is right in front of you.
11) Remember, there is magic in the air. Every time my daughter’s gaze is focused on “nothing,” I smile and say “hi” to what I can no longer see.
Author: Jennifer Brian
Image: Courtesy of Author
Editor: Emily Bartran
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