Excitement. Pure excitement.
Excited for this moment, for tomorrow, and thankful for my past...but mostly, I'm simply excited for what is and for what is to come.
At this moment, Weston is napping and safe in his room. And that means I get a free minute to put some thoughts on paper.. or, um... in this day of technology, I'm gonna blog about it :D
I'm excited to be so provoked, moved, and full of compassion in regards to a particular incident that happened at work.
I know I've blogged about breast feeding before, Breastfeeding in Public? Also,remember that New York Times article back in 2012? Here's a quick refresher if ya'll missed out on the blog post I did on that controversy, Breastfeeding a Toddler?
I was at work last week and suddenly there was a suspicious buzz about the air.. another co-worker was trying to whisper something to me and another co-worker while we were lingering about the cash registers.
"What?"
I asked my co-worker to repeat herself like 3 times and finally the other gal next to me, looks passed me for a millisecond...and then responds, "Oh, I get it."
I'm still perplexed and confused. I think to myself, "You get what? What am I missing?"
As I walk away from the cash registers and my co-workers, I notice a mom sitting down in a corner with her son in her lap. She is nursing him. I quickly glance away... and think, "OH!... this is what the buzz was about."
There are times in our lives when we see things and don't speak up for good or for worse, and I knew that at this moment, I wanted to talk to this mom. I was flushed with adrenaline and happiness. Compassion and empathy sprang from me like a trampoline! It's difficult to find the words to fully express my emotions. But I felt compelled to talk to this mom and tell her that I too, can relate. I've been in public, nursing, feeling judged and hearing whispers wrought about by the decision to breastfeed in public.
Nerves flooded me and I wasn't sure how to approach this mom, but I wanted to so badly.
I strolled up to her, knelt down and said, "I love that you're breastfeeding your son right now. I just want you to know I think it's just so beautiful. I still nurse my 2 year old son, too."
The mom looks at me, smiles and says, "Oh this is no biggie.. this is my 2nd child. I'm used to this now." I just wanted to hug her and thank her for being brave.
What would I have given when I was a brand new mom, nursing Weston at Fred Meyer...scared out of my mind, thinking someone was going to kick me out of the store, for another mom to come up to me and say, "Hey, good job!"
I didn't know this mom's history, or know her story...but I knew I had to give her acknowledgement and a thumbs-up of some-sort. This excerpt from the book, "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" resonates so LOUDLY with me. I love it:
"Many women are surprised by the passion they come to feel about breastfeeding. If you meet another breastfeeding woman anywhere in the world, you feel a connection, no matter how different her culture is, and no matter how long ago you or she breastfed your babies. Not many of us felt this passionately about breastfeeding until we did it ourselves, and many of us remember it as one of the best things we do in our lives. The experience is just that powerful."
LA LECHE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL; Diane Wiessinger; Diana West; Teresa Pitman (2010-07-09). The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (Kindle Locations 548-551). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
You know what I find myself doing?... and I mean, I do this a lot. I take pictures of Weston and I nursing. This relationship will eventually end, but I want to capture every moment I can. It really is that special and that powerful of a bond.
Here's some random pictures I found on my camera phone of breastfeeding Dubs:
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| May 2013, after work nursing session. I love how Weston's hands always caress my face during this time. |
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| Last week, May 2013: after a long day at work... this is how we re-connect xoxo |
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| Breastfeeding Gymnastics... you mom's out there know what I'm talking about :) |
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| A couple of weeks ago, April 2013 |
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| Mother's Day 2013 |
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| Mother's Day 2013, his hands always find their way to my face :) |
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| Mother's Day May 12th, 2013 |
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| Last Summer, 2012. |
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| Last summer, 2012. |
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| Last summer, 2012 |
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| Fell asleep on me, nursing. Taken a couple of months ago, Feb 2013 I think. |
xo
Megs
1 comment:
this is so true, I loved the quote you used, and I've felt the same way so many times, 'connected'. it's still so weird to me, the ignorance and judgement of women, against their own sisters, especially about something beautiful, vital and natural. thanks for fighting the good fight. It's a relief to me, in my senior years, to pass on the baton to someone more capable of gaining the lead in this.
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