The 1st Issue of From The Womb has arrived!
The womb is sacred. A source of life, the first home, the first school, a place of compassion, nourishment and growth. It is a blessing to be a womb-bearer. To be able to carry and bring the future to life is a gift.
From the Womb is for distribution to mothers to support women’s and parenting issues. It will contain information about exclusive premiers, VIP invitations to events, and inspirational affirmations for families to enjoy. We will share success stories from mothers, healthy recipes that mothers could use for feeding their children and relevant information from various organizations and institutions that support women’s issues.
Today 22 July 2022 is special for me as a mother and grandmother. So allow me to get personal.
My grandson turns 3 months and he is the reason why you are now reading the first issue of “from the womb.” The nudge to reach out to fellow womb bearers was there a long time ago. The courage to put it on paper has now surfaced!
From my womb came his mother my second daughter Zanele, and from her womb, came my first grandchild and grandson Nkosiyabo Ezra. “My life will never be the same”, says Zanele. There are decisions she hesitated to make that she no longer thinks twice about, because suddenly there is a whole life that depends on her. She is willing to make bold decisions to ensure that her child has the best life ever!
What are some of the decisions that you started making that you never made before you were a mother?
I cannot stop being grateful for the privilege to witness the transformation of my daughter to being a mom. Our relationship is much deeper, based on our shared maternal experiences. So much empathy as she now understands the journey and what it takes to give and nurture life. Zanele is experiencing love and happiness at a whole new level. I experienced it when I had her and her two siblings.
Oftentimes most of us tend to underestimate the power, value and love of mothers until the day we give birth. Does this sound familiar? I am curious. How has motherhood changed you?
When I had my first child I had an epiphany. Mothers are powerful and wonderful. The womb is powerful. I never fully understood the depth of my mother’s love and sacrifice. I could not find words to appreciate her enough or to thank her enough for birthing and loving me with all my imperfections.
So as my grandson turns 3 months today, I am reminded that in my culture, an expectant mother is sent to her mother before she is due and stays with her for 3 months. A ritual that entails the son in law gifting the mother-in-law with a goat and other gifts is performed. During her stay, the new mother focuses on learning to be a new mother and also healing, under the watch and care of her birth mother and other supports.
Today, If I had been present for my daughter and grandson, I would have been setting them free to go back to their home. My son in law and his delegation would have brought a chicken and mealie meal to be cooked to celebrate the new arrival. Thereafter, he would take his wife and son home.
As I am an immigrant mother, I have no such privilege as to hold my new grandson or do the traditional rituals that come with being a mother and grandma. I have found ways of compensating for my absence and my sisters , brothers and aunt who are back home have made the journey much easier. My village is still intact and I am grateful.
Releasing this newsletter to fellow mothers today is special. I am releasing the pain of a mother and grandmother’s heart which is spiritually in two places- in the Canadian Arctic from where I write and back home in Zimbabwe, where my first grandson who I long to hold, lives with my daughter and son in law.
To you mother reading this, I release only positive energy as I open up and share my reality with you. I have joy in my heart because of the fruit of my womb and the fruit of her womb. Soon I pray, I will be able to travel and hug them in person.
As a family, we have also released some of the traditions to enable the young couple their rhythm as parents, especially as we encourage the workload in the home to be shared, a sure case for a healthy relationship. I am delighted to share that I see a happy new mother, happy new father who is hands on, a present father and husband and a happy grandson.
What are some of the traditions you value in your culture? How are you honouring them as well as honouring the new generation which we are teaching equality, love and freedom? What I have found is that we do not have to lose the core of who we are but we lose the aspects that do not bring happiness and inner peace to our children.
I am aware of the boundaries I need to observe to ensure that the young parents live their lives well. Aa motherhood! I have not stopped being their mother. I am just mothering at a grand level.
I would love to hear from you, how you feel and what you think? I hope that you join us in the movement Mothers United. Join us on Facebook: Our mission is to connect, empower, and unite the world’s mothers through networking, collaboration, education and training for mothers and children, and to enable mother-to-mother support.
We do this so that mothers become unstoppable drivers of change personally, professionally and parentally.
Gratefully,
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