Letting Go In Childbirth and In LIFE

I am convinced that when a woman is supported in a way that create a sense of safety for her, when she has the space to experience her fears, her thoughts, to explore the depths of her soul… then… she can enter the Mystery and surrender. In her own time, in her own way, she lets go and miracles happen.

My mind has a way of relating just about anything to the childbirth experience. One morning this poem by Rev. Safire Rose showed up in my Facebook feed. So beautiful and profound. So like the Journey of Childbirth.

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of fear. She let go of the judgments.

She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.

The poem reminds me of the journey of so many women I have had the honor to serve as a birth doula and accidental birth photographer.

In the photo below Jenni and Patrick are settled in the pool after THIRTY THREE hours of laboring. I took the photo at 3:00 PM when they entered the birth pool. Their daughter was born at 4:18 PM into the hands of her loving dad. It was such a beautiful act of surrender!

Jenni laboring down. Photo by Evelyn Ojeda

In the space of letting go, she let it all be.

A small smile came over her face.

A light breeze blew through her.

And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.

She Let Go

by Rev. Safire Rose

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of fear. She let go of the judgments.

She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.

She let go of the committee of indecision within her.

She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely,

without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a

book on how to let go… She didn’t search the scriptures.

She just let go.

She let go of all of the memories that held her back.

She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.

She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go.

She didn’t journal about it.

She didn’t write the projected date in her day-timer.

She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.

She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.

She just let go.

She didn’t analyse whether she should let go.

She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.

She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.

She didn’t call the prayer line.

She didn’t utter one word. She just let go.

No one was around when it happened.

There was no applause or congratulations.

No one thanked her or praised her.

No one noticed a thing.

Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort. There was no struggle.

It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.

It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be.

A small smile came over her face.

A light breeze blew through her.

And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.