When I was in the last stages of my pregnancy with Melina, I was convinced that I would deliver her at 38 weeks. Not during the 38th week, but at 38 weeks, right on the money, just like everyone else to whom I'd given birth. So when 37 weeks and 6 days came around, I figured that I'd wake up the next morning and labor would begin.
But it didn't, and I wondered why. So I looked around my life, and realized that there was no way I could have a baby come into the world at that moment. The house was a mess, the laundry had to be done, we didn't have the pack-n-play set up in the living room, and most importantly, I hadn't found someone to come take care of the kids while I headed to the hospital.
It was clear to me that I had work to do, even though work was the furthest thing from my mind at that point. But I toiled to get everything done. The mess cleared away easily as we progressed into 38 weeks day 1 and day 2. Tim set up the pack-n-play on day 3 of that 38th week. I moved about life, lumbering really, wondering when the child would arrive. Day 4 went by and towards the end of it, in the late afternoon, I think, I received a phone call from a sitter we had used for several years.
"I'm all done with class, Chris," she said. "If you need me for anything, call me. Doesn't matter what time it is. I can help with the kids."
Apparently, that's all the urging my uterus needed. For that night, I went into labor and in the wee hours of the morning, on week 38 day 5, Melina was born. I think about that time often, about how it was almost as if I willed my uterus to stay shut. Because I didn't have someone to take care of the kids, I couldn't go into labor. It was a significant detail that my mind would not get past. And when that problem was solved, well, the baby could come.
I'm a believer in that sort of thing--mind over matter. I think we can make almost anything happen, if we truly believe it. On the flip side, I think we can also keep things from occurring when we simply don't believe, or aren't ready to believe. Looking for misfortune around the bend? Don't be surprised if you find it. Because, as the old adage goes, We can be our own worst enemies.
For some of you, a simple reminder to treat yourselves right and focus on the positive will be enough to open you up to everything that actually can be in your life. For others, it will take a little more work to get past a lifetime of negativity. It's worth a try, though, so take a chance on truly living, on finding joy in your heart and in your life. It's amazing what your mind can do for you.
But it didn't, and I wondered why. So I looked around my life, and realized that there was no way I could have a baby come into the world at that moment. The house was a mess, the laundry had to be done, we didn't have the pack-n-play set up in the living room, and most importantly, I hadn't found someone to come take care of the kids while I headed to the hospital.
It was clear to me that I had work to do, even though work was the furthest thing from my mind at that point. But I toiled to get everything done. The mess cleared away easily as we progressed into 38 weeks day 1 and day 2. Tim set up the pack-n-play on day 3 of that 38th week. I moved about life, lumbering really, wondering when the child would arrive. Day 4 went by and towards the end of it, in the late afternoon, I think, I received a phone call from a sitter we had used for several years.
"I'm all done with class, Chris," she said. "If you need me for anything, call me. Doesn't matter what time it is. I can help with the kids."
Apparently, that's all the urging my uterus needed. For that night, I went into labor and in the wee hours of the morning, on week 38 day 5, Melina was born. I think about that time often, about how it was almost as if I willed my uterus to stay shut. Because I didn't have someone to take care of the kids, I couldn't go into labor. It was a significant detail that my mind would not get past. And when that problem was solved, well, the baby could come.
I'm a believer in that sort of thing--mind over matter. I think we can make almost anything happen, if we truly believe it. On the flip side, I think we can also keep things from occurring when we simply don't believe, or aren't ready to believe. Looking for misfortune around the bend? Don't be surprised if you find it. Because, as the old adage goes, We can be our own worst enemies.
For some of you, a simple reminder to treat yourselves right and focus on the positive will be enough to open you up to everything that actually can be in your life. For others, it will take a little more work to get past a lifetime of negativity. It's worth a try, though, so take a chance on truly living, on finding joy in your heart and in your life. It's amazing what your mind can do for you.
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