Letters November 7, 2011 Issue

Letters

Amy Ward-Bailey, Karen Berger, Naomi Short

Thank you so very much for the inspiring articles on pregnancy and birth [“Pregnancy and childbirth: A spiritual approach,” October 10]. I’m not pregnant, and have never had children, but the articles were nonetheless so helpful! It made me really think more about how we all express Life, and the creative force that’s included in that expression. For me, coming up with any idea is very similar to the birth of a child. In my life I’ve often had to create things that have seemed daunting at the time: dance choreography, a 50-page research paper, lesson plans, a painting. Understanding that Life is the creative power, and that we all reflect that power, relieves the burden of feeling that we have to create something from nothing. This idea also helped me to realize that in my prayer about creative ideas, the point isn’t to think of nothing and wait for God to strike me with this perfect idea. Rather, a deeper understanding of my own identity as a reflection of Life reveals creative power as not a part of me, but as the Divine expressed through me. What a great start to my day!

Amy Ward-Bailey
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, US

Lynne Scheiern’s lovely article, “Praying for my grandson,” [“Pregnancy and childbirth: A spiritual approach,” October 10] brought to mind an exchange I had with an online friend a few years ago. This woman, who after nearly 20 years of marriage and several miscarriages, told me via e-mail that her doctors were convinced she’d never be able to have a child. Although I didn’t know any particulars about her religious background, it came very strongly to me to write back, “They don’t get to make those decisions.” And her response? “You’re right.”

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