When my neighbour was about to have her baby, it’s as though the world took a deep breath and held it until the baby was safely born. The mother and baby are now revered, cosseted and adored by the community, as if the world has sewn a white cloud around them. Each moment is so precious, the first hazy openings of the babies eyes, and the first touch of a breeze on her cheek. My favourite may have been when she snuggled into my chest and fell asleep, or when my seven year old son’s fingers caressed the crown of her head, almost absentmindedly, as he found an excuse to walk past her again. The women in the community came into their own yet again, each stitching with love a patch on a quilt, each with it’s own messages to send the baby into it’s journey in life. It’s brought back so many deep memories – intense love, pain, joy, sadness, but most of all, wonder.
A New Baby
