Midwifing a new world

A sneak peak into this month's newsletter:

Dear ones,

I’m sure you are all reading, hearing, and seeing way more than your brain is equipped to handle so I’ll leave you with just a few short paragraphs this month.

If there's one thing I've learned from my time attending births it's that the beginning of life is inherently linked to letting go of what went before, what was familiar. And pain, sorrow, fear? They're all inherent parts of the deal. When you walk into a birth space, whether you are the midwife, doula, partner, friend or birthgiver, you have no real guarantee of the outcome. But, you show up with love, presence, reverence, and perseverance regardless. You agree to meet every moment, no matter what it holds.

In response to the ecological crisis, the late Joanna Macy said you must "be of service not knowing whether you're a hospice worker or a midwife." I think of that often.

Regardless of which role we may currently be playing, crucial to both is the ability to open ourselves up fully to pain without crumbling. To say "Come on in. You're welcome here. You're not too much for me, I can hold you." And then believe it.

For the majority of us, this is where we get stuck and ultimately freeze up. We get a glimpse of the immensity of sensation and we shut down, unable to accept it. And when we shut down like this, we're mostly useless to whatever cause we're here to champion.

We cannot usher in new ways of being or graciously escort other ways out (it's my belief we're doing both all at the same time) if we exist in this sympathetic freeze. This space of unhealthy denial. So, when things feel scary and painful or hopeless and overwhelming, I invite you to pause. Ground yourself in the support of your Mother Earth. And open yourself up. Allow things to be painful, and heartbreaking, and terrifying. Maybe even hopeful, exciting, and enlivening. And from this place, perhaps some authentic action surfaces. Lean into it, however small (take a breath, or cancel prime) or large (birth a baby, or donate a portion of your income). It doesn't have to be big, or loud, or even shared.

And, to all the mamas reading this, know what a radical act of activism you are participating in. As Brittany Chambers writes, "If you want to plant seeds of peace, of love, of revolution, tend to the garden of your baby’s brain.”

I do not know what comes next, but I do know that we will greet it together. And that brings me comfort.

In support and solidarity,

Clara

P.S Joanna Macy's wisdom was integral in helping move from a place of panic to grounded action... if this all feels way to overwhelming,​ start here​.