To be in service to another

Today is my daughter’s Birthday. It is a day for me to take the time not just to honour her, but also to honour the mystery of life and Universe for the gift of parenting, a gift I did not seek.

Parenting was not on my list to do. I had never even held a baby until Natalie was born. I prefer dogs to children.

Yet this was what life gifted me. 

Everything, every thing, has been better for me because I have been a parent to Natalie. I am infinitely more likeable as a human than I was. More compassionate. More considerate. 

Natalie’s birth opened the gateway to my feelings. To be in service to another, even at the cost of my life. Such an easy choice. To know myself and the levels I would go for her health and well-being. 

I am a good and natural parent, which surprised the heck out of me. But not as much as it surprised the heck out of my family and friends. 

My natural inclination includes single-minded feistiness. Natalie is the counterfoil. She is all-considerate. Infinitely kind and thoughtful. Perhaps I was a better parent because I knew intuitively that she, from the day of her conception, was and is my teacher,

I am a better human standing in her reflection.

Happy Birthday Nat. I love you.

Photo Taken February 16th 2023