The Silent Mother
Popping in with a poem on our silence & words on the expansion life offers us - again and again and again.
The silent mother
aches
she is grieving
much -
much that you won’t hear about
oodles that you will never know
The silent mother
desires
someone to meet her
here -
in the midst of her
awfully messy
messy mess
The silent mother
won’t invite you in though,
no -
she can’t
she can’t imagine anyone
anyone
anyone
here,
in the muck and mire
with her
though she longs for it
Today I remember
the silent mother
because I was her
and I wonder -
if she could
if you could
if we could
see this messy mess
as a seed
planted
if she could
if you could
if we could
know growth
is coming
would she
would you
would we
be so very silent?
Pictured: me in the midst of some of the worst days of pain I’ve had in my experience of motherhood and life and chronic disease, just this last year. I’m gazing at my own reflection - both uninspired by my appearance and inspired by how I continued to show up. Keep showing up, loves. Please. Always.
Unposted Post of the Week
Yesterday was Maternal Mental Health day, and I didn’t miss it. In fact, I held my own mental health squarely in my hand as my daughter struggled and my brain quite-almost split into two. We were both uniquely fragile. We are both uniquely fragile.
Can I share something with you?
I believe wholeheartedly that honoring our fragility is an opportunity for expansion. When we sit in the expression that is us - in this particular season or time - we grow. This week as I began to write out the skeleton of my next book, the words “post-traumatic growth” appeared on the page. Hard happens. Fragile exists. And still, we can grow.
Which brings me back to the words above:
if she could
if you could
if we could
know growth
is coming
would she
would you
would we
be so very silent?
If you knew growth was coming, would you share your story Beloved? Or would you wait for the peace to come first? Over the years, God has continually prompted me to share from a space without peace. It has been in my messy messy mess that I have found common ground. (Like hearts make this wild ride so much better!)
If you need a wink to not stay silent, may this be it.
And, if silence is serving you well - may you honor that too.
I’m with you.
I’m with you.
I’m with you.
Squeezes,
J. 🌻 @thebarefootpreacher
P.S. feel free to share this message on The Silent Mother. She is everywhere; and quite often, her silence is what separates her from her healing.
I love you.
Have a comment you’d like to send just for me to read?
Thank you for this ❤️