We are Born Surrounded

Words that carry me through postpartum

May 31, 2023

This week while walking by the cottage I used to live in just down the street from our new home, I spotted a brand new fawn in the yard nursing from its mama. I was on a walk with my brand new baby (seven weeks old today) and our dog, and I quickly turned around to our house to get my son and husband so they could see the tiny deer. We stood watching them for a few minutes, now nestled down in the back corner of the yard.

I have felt a kinship with the animal mothers around me this spring. Together many of us birthed babies as the weather began to warm up, and on my walks and hikes with my newborn nestled against me, I have witnessed a baby deer, baby birds, and bunnies. Word on the street is a mama bear has even been wandering the neighborhood many evenings.

There is something extremely fitting about having a baby in the spring. As I slowly healed and gained more energy, the weather warmed, inviting me outside for longer and longer walks. As my daughter grows each day, so does our time outdoors, correlated to the warming temperatures. She lay in the bassinet in the shade while her brother and I dug out the flower beds in early May, accompanied us on ever-lengthening walks all month, and this week as the temperatures soared, she joined us for beach afternoons that turned into evenings.

When I was still in the hospital after her birth via C-section, I wrote one of the few lines I have written since her arrival. We are born surrounded. Despite her arrival going differently than hoped, I felt extremely cared for as I entered the operating room. The nurses talked with, held, and supported me throughout the experience. I was surrounded, and immediately after she entered the world, my daughter was surrounded too.

I have thought of this line since then, heard it repeated as friends dropped food at our door, as neighbors held my daughter when we joined them to watch the sunset each Friday night. I think of it as I witness the other mothers in nature tending to their young ones. We are born surrounded. So why do we often think we ought to do things on our own? Here is the short poem that was birthed from that line.

Surrounded

We are born surrounded.
A host of hands waits to catch us,
the world enthralled by our arrival.
So then, why do we grow up
believing we must face it all alone?

Swim Club
Swim club kicks off next week! The lake is still cold, but we’ll at least do a quick dip. All are welcome, even if you don’t want to get in the water. Bring a coffee or a snack; we’ll visit on the beach for a bit before we plunge! Please reply to this email and let me know if you plan to join.

All swim club meetups will happen at the public beach in Empire, in the north lot by the lighthouse. Note that these dates are subject to change. I will update everyone through Instagram and email updates.

Saturday, June 10 at 8am **note that this time has changed to the morning!
Sunday, July 8 at 8am
Wednesday, August 9 at 8pm
Sunday, September 3 at 8am

Lake Letters

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