It’s spring again!

This is my favorite season of the year! The weather gets warmer, the flowers bloom and my birthday is near. In many ways I have always been a child at heart. Flowers, presents, balloons and cake are essential for a good party. When I was little we always dressed up for a party. Kids’ birthdays can be super special and memorable.

My parents never rented a bounce house or hired a pony, but my mother made sure we had friends over and plenty of games to play. Nowadays, I may see my kids (or not - depending on their schedules and geographic distance) and might get together with friends (or not). Birthday celebrations are quieter. For some adults, they can mark the inevitable (and relentless) march toward the end of our time on earth.

As a mother and a midwife, I see birthdays a bit differently now. Before it’s the child’s day, it is the mother’s. It is HER pregnancy. It is she who must navigate labor and birth. Only after these monumental accomplishments does the baby get to claim the day as THEIR birthday. I take this day to honor ALL mothers for the gift of each of our BIRTHdays!