Eggs, Birth, and Life

I recently happened upon on a nest of robin's eggs, and am now determined to watch these little birdies hatch. I've been visiting the nest every day, and am hoping they'll be ready to experience life outside the shell sometime next week. 

How cool will it be to witness new life be brought into this world? 

This is something I've yet to experience, but I realized that an even more profound experience, must be bringing that new life into the world oneself.  I'm not a mother yet, I have no idea what it will be like to give birth, but the concept of the way humans (and animals) create new life fascinates me. Isn't it amazing what our bodies can do? Isn't it awesome that we don't have to think about it? Our bodies take care of everything themselves. Or as I believe, God takes care of everything. 

Life is such a miracle. I was sharing my thoughts on birth, bird eggs, and babies with some friends in the dining hall, when one of the women who works in the dining hall turned around and shared a remarkable story with me. When she was 17, she was told that she would never have children. She accepted that this is the way it would be, and eventually married a man with two children from a previous marriage. When she was 27 she felt sick often, but didn't think much of it, until one day it was particularly bad and she decided to go to the doctor. He told her she was 6 months pregnant! She barely gained any weight, but the baby was born perfectly healthy three months later! Almost exactly a year earlier, her father had passed away, so she says the birth of her son was God's way of giving her new life in exchange for the life he had taken away. 

Life is precious, birth is beautiful. Its such a wonderful gift that we have the capacity to share in the creation of life. I know I'm probably romanticizing it a bit. I can't quite fathom the pain that is also associated with birth. Yet, I think the pain is a gift too. The deepest part of love is the willingness to suffer, to sacrifice, and still love unconditionally. God planned that part out too. 

As much as I look forward to a future involving my own motherhood, for now I'm completely satisfied waiting for Mama Robin's baby birds to hatch.