Description
Celebrating Motherhood is organized into nine sections: Anticipate, Flourish, Nurture, Wonder, Voice, Stand, Listen, Envision and Embrace, representing the spiritual touchstones that will guide your transformation. The sections encompass thirty readings, each titled with a powerful affirmation and layered with multicultural lore, facts, rituals, activities and contemplations. I suggest you read one page daily, allowing its uplifting message to imprint your best intentions on your soul. Whether you are considering conception, already pregnant, or a new (or seasoned) mother, this book will help you connect more deeply with your mother’s nature:
- To anticipate a happier, more peaceful life.
-To flourish as a woman and mother.
-To nurture yourself as you nurture your loved ones.
-To wonder at the natural world.
-To voice your thoughts more clearly.
-To stand for your children.
-To listen more thoughtfully.
-To envision your hopes and dreams.
-To embrace your circle of friends and family and find that you’ve always belonged.
The Story Behind This Book
Safe Passage
Create each day anew by clothing yourself with heaven and earth, bathing yourself with wisdom and love, and placing yourself in the heart of Mother Nature.
—Morihei Ueshibe
The morning I discovered I was pregnant with my first child, I walked through my neighborhood with new eyes, smiling at women sporting ripe bellies, mothers strolling their babies, and children in perpetual motion everywhere I looked. I longed to invite them to walk with me, to share the wonder of bringing forth life. I wanted to belong to their circle and talk about the myriad emotions filling my heart, as I grappled with what it meant to become a mother. One moment I happily anticipated the years ahead. The next I worried about how unprepared I felt, hurdling into the unknown, my body and mind undergoing dramatic change. I had urgent questions to ask - lots of them.
So I turned to my local bookseller and searched the shelves for writings about women’s experiences carrying, birthing and nurturing their children. What I found were books that focused primarily on the practical, physical and medical aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and parenting; on all that could go wrong with my body and my baby; and the interventions and solutions available. According to these authors, pregnancy was a condition, childbirth a potential crisis and parenthood simply a set of learned skills.
Where was the one book I could keep on my bedside table, to curl up with morning and night, that would enrich this adventure and help me develop trust in myself as a mother? The elusiveness of this book was the first seed for Celebrating Motherhood.
I survived my pregnancy without the wisdom of the ages! Carl and I welcomed a son, Jacob into our family on May 17, 1990 and in his sleepy, first weeks, I wondered why I had worried so. Our home was a warm cocoon. He nursed contentedly and slept eighteen hours each day. We bonded and cuddled. We reveled in the magic of this new being and were suspended in idyllic baby time.
But then Jacob “awakened” and began a crying jag that lasted three months. Everyone we consulted had a different opinion about what to do and considered themselves to be an expert. Feed him on a strict schedule every three hours; you don’t want to spoil him. Feed him “on demand;” you can’t spoil a baby. Don’t nurse him more than thirty minutes; you’re not a human pacifier. Nurse him as long as he wants; babies thrive on closeness and comfort. Let him cry; it builds character. Pick him up before he starts crying; it builds self-esteem.
We were just beginning to wonder if there was an “exchange policy” for babies when, to our great relief, he started “singing” along with our lullabies and rewarding us with great big, crooked smiles. But this peaceful time was fleeting and we soon realized that “colic” was only the first in a long line of confusing developmental milestones we would contend with as parents. Of course there were plenty of wonderful times too but the tribulations overwhelmed me.
I devoured volumes of books on parenting, discovering helpful solutions to my caretaking problems, but it quickly became apparent that the confidence I desperately searched for was not to be found in the pages of a how-to book. I was frustrated and emotionally fatigued. My voice grew shrill. My muscles strained. I cried when I was alone. I feared that I was not the kind of mother that my son could be proud of as he grew up. I knew I had so much to improve in myself if I was going to teach him the ways of the world.
I was moved to compile a book celebrating motherhood because I knew I was not alone in my quest for heightened spiritual awareness as a woman, more peace and knowingness as a mother. I began to collect the reflections of diverse women past and present for an inspirational reader and was amazed by the discovery of a common thread and spiritual link among the voices. Whether the writings were by African women or European, Aboriginal or Native American, Balinese or Japanese, no matter what culture or historical time period, how famous or ordinary, these women expressed the same message in unison: creating life is sacred and mothering is a journey of discovery.
Praise and Reviews
A rich and delicious collection of jewels - as visually sparkling as it is informative, this book will speak to anyone who has ever contemplated the spiritual and emotional aspects of motherhood.
—Jennifer Louden, author of The Pregnant Woman’s Comfort Book and The Woman’s Retreat Book
Anyone who has ever been a mother — or had one — will love this book. This collection reveals the poetry and spiritual insight available to those who travel the great path of motherhood.
—Wes “Scoop” Nisker, meditation teacher and author of the best-selling books Buddha’s Nature and Crazy Wisdom
Forty years ago when my children were being born, I recall being comforted by Dr. Winnicott’s reassurance, “You are the child’s mother and it’s a wonderful thing you’re doing and you will know what to do.” I reread the same words many times. This book delivers the same message in many different, lovely ways.
—Sylvia Boorstein, author of Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There: A Manual for Mindfulness Meditation and That’s Funny You Don’t Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist
Celebrating Motherhood is an inspiring and original insight into the experience of creating life as a mother, well described as a sacred journey of discovery, of wisdom and love.
—Alexandra Stoddard, author of Mothers: A Celebration and Living a Beautiful Life
Every nurturing and comforting moment in the human experience carries the power and beauty of the maternal spirit. Celebrating Motherhood is an exquisite tribute to the unlimited power of this mystery.
—Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., Cultural anthropologist and author of The Four-Fold Way and Signs of Life
Celebrating Motherhood is a beacon for spiritual transformation, during pregnancy and beyond. By highlighting wisdom from around the world, the book illuminates the profound truths linking humanity.
—Gary Fenchuk, author of Timeless Wisdom: A Treasury of Universal Truths
As a practicing obstetrician, I often observe that my patients devote a great deal of effort studying medical science. Celebrating Motherhood is a refreshing redirection of energy. Each vignette is a small treasure for the spirit. The book perfectly balances the advice manuals and revitalizes the soul.
—Laurie Green, M.D., F.A.C.O.G
A stunning and beautiful collection of pregnancy and birth stories, poems and experiences. I can’t imagine anything more delightful than being pregnant and curling up with Celebrating Motherhood on a daily basis.
—Sarah F. McMoyler, Perinatal Education Coordinator, R.N., B.S.N., F.A.C.C.E.
A beautiful book full of charming stories, inspiring blessings, comfort, and wisdom.
—Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance, Circle Round, and Raising Children in Goddess Tradition
WOW! what a beautifully illustrated and edited collection of spiritual inspiration for the conscious mom!
—Liisa Daniels, R.M.T, Doula, Wellness Center of Sherman, Texas
A glorious celebration of motherhood. Every page reminded me of why being a mother is the best thing that ever happened to me. The perfect gift book for any mother, anytime, anywhere.
—Mary Knight, author of Love Letters Before Birth and Beyond
Celebrating Motherhood continually calls us to look deeply at the precious moments of motherhood. The wise voices gathered here help restore balance and joy. There is support and guidance in these pages as we labor in one of the most challenging and important jobs on the planet, that of nurturing the next generation.
—Nancy Bardacke, M.A., Certified Nurse Midwife
Celebrating Motherhood is an absolute treasure...I truly delighted in its elegance of concept. The depth of content, the writing and the remarkable design are a compliment to every mother on earth.
—Laura Uplinger, creator of “A Gift for the Unborn Child” video
WHAT WE'RE READING
Editor, Erica Jorgensen, Amazon.com
Celebrating Motherhood: Timeless Wisdom for the Journey into Motherhood
by Andrea Alban Gosline and Lisa Burnett Bossi
A must for mothers and expectant mothers, this inspirational
collection of essays and poems about the transformative power
of motherhood features contributions from Isabel Allende,
Barbara Kingsolver, Ursula K. Le Guin, and other literary
luminaries.
