A Mommy's Love

" The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." 

- Rajneesh

On April 16, 2011 I gave birth to my first child, my son. I didn't realize it then, but this quote really rang true over the months following. The last 22 months for me have been an amazing journey...I have learned so much and grown so much as a woman while learning as a mother. Now, as I prepare to become a mother again I realize the truth of this quote even more...I may already be a woman. I may already be a mother, but there is another mother waiting to be born with my second child, my daughter... a mother who has similar fears, hopes, and dreams...but this time for another life, another child. 

Although this pregnancy has taught me to honor the mother within, a greater lesson learned has been to also remember the woman who started it all...the woman who lies under it all. She is wise, compassionate, and strong. She may not always be perfect, but that's not how life is...and she deserves the same love, the same care as the mother in the foreground... 

I have made these earrings for expectant mothers, not only to honor the heart of a mother's love. The wisdom, strength, and love of a mother, new or old. However, they are also meant to remind the expecting mother not to forget her roots as a woman...that in the chaos of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood underneath it all beats the heart of a woman, a strong and compassionate woman...and that's something to be proud of too...

Coiled wire to symbolize the chaos that life can bring, but underneath it all beats the heart of a mother who tries hard to do best for her and her children...underneath it all beats the heart of a woman.

Goals

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps."           

   -Confucius

 I have found this to be true in my life, that when my goals seem out of reach and unattainable not only do I need to adjust the actions steps...but I first must adjust my attitude. Often times once the steps I've mapped out to a goal 'dysfunction' I become too overwhelmed by frustration, fear, and doubt. I cannot see the next steps to put me back on my path. Once I step back, take a deep calming breath (both figuratively and metaphorically) I find the sky opens and I see a clear picture of how to achieve what 'I felt I'd lost'. In the words of Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never...Never give up."

Girls just wanna have fun!

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities" - Edna J. Le Shan

To announce the gender of our second child to our families I created these frames as gifts, with a picture of the little one growing inside my belly. They had no idea we were finding out the gender of our baby, so it was a fun surprise for everyone! 

Lessons

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward." 

-Vernon Law

Life gives us many lessons along the way, and we each experience them in ways unique to us. The tests and challenges life throws at us are only meant to make us stronger, help us grow. As we experience life, its not always easy...but it's not always hard either. As I wander through life I try to remind myself to enjoy the tests, because the lessons they teach are worth it in the end.