for real?

That's how I feel when I look at the photos posted below. This is our life. Summertime. For real. I'm so glad for all of it. And that very feeling, gratitude, might be the finest state of being ever. Bliss. What are you grateful for right now?

Knowing that gratitude is a cool place to be doesn't mean skip over other feelings, if they are present. We can easily turn this into another rule or beating stick that we use on ourselves (I should be more grateful! What is my problem!!). That kind of energy will squash you, making it impossible to feel gratitude naturally, organically. 

If you want to feel better than you do, then think of your current feeling as a tunnel. Go THROUGH it and  you will get to the other side, sometime. Feel it deeply and genuinely. There is a message there for us, perhaps some healing to be done. Trust that you will emerge when your time comes and it will be different there. 

As we allow our own feelings greater space and acceptance, then we will become open to whatever shows up for our children. We will be with them, with immense presence, loving them and feeling no irritation whatsoever when they are flipping out. This is big. 

Comments

[erinmidwife]

Thank you! We have been aching to get over to Missoula since arriving here in March. I am just finishing up with my last births before taking time off to welcome my second. Are there any stops we shouldn't miss?

[kris laroche]

hi erin. it would be so lovely to meet you and welcome you here to missoula. i just checked out your site and it is beautiful. i'm crying after watching fabi's homebirth video. my second baby was born at home with an amazing midwife here (she got here 15 minutes before saschy girl came into the world) and i feel a rush of emotion about it all every time i see a video like that. thank you for doing what you do and for visiting here. i'm so glad for you.

[erinmidwife]

gorgeous pics. thanks for sharing them. i am in bozeman, but we've been thinking about heading over to missoula. looks like there is a beautiful natural family living scene happening there :)