Amidst the heartbreak of the world,
and destruction caused by structures of domination,
you yearn to nurture life in your womb,
to hold a baby—warm life—against your chest,
to parent a child with kindness and love;
your gift to this world.
Your heart reaches out and blesses those whose desires
do not include birthing a child. You yearn for them
to have access to healthcare and for their dreams
of flourishing to be realized. Your heart reaches out
and blesses all children, that they may be safe
and cherished for who they are. That they may be nurtured
by communities and their planet home.
And now you, a child of this planet home yourself, receive this blessing:
Bless every way you already nurture life —
Gardens weeded
Pets cuddled
Niblings delighted in
Hands of beloveds held
Cups of tea made for friends
Deep breaths taken into your belly
Bless every way your body already creates —
Poems swirled into the corner of your journal
Summer squash sauteed with garlic and basil
The shapes you form when you dance in the kitchen
The art you make
The humor you find
The intimacy you co-create with the bodies of others
May you feel accompanied in private moments of pain —
when the test is negative again
when your cycle refuses to align with the moon
when you line up medication on the counter
when you schedule another appointment
when every person at the market seems to have a belly ripe with life
when every person at the park seems to have a child on their shoulder
May you feel held in your grief
May your anger have a safe way out
May unwelcome commentary roll past you like water over a river stone
May your relationships of care comfort you
May Inner Wisdom infuse your discernment
May you be connected with the resources and support you need
May your relationship with your body be tender and kind
May you feel deep in your bones that your longings are valid
May you know that even as you grapple with what feels barren…
with what sometimes feels like death itself —
you are life, you are life, you are life.
– Rev. Molly Bolton