Baby Shower Revisited

Ok, so we went to the baby shower my family threw for us this weekend. It turned out to be a lot of fun even though there were no special mommy rite of passage ceremonies I would like to be a part of. It was very girly (held at a tea house) and I dressed like a girly. No black pantsuits as is customary for me to wear to these things. That was ok, though. Cool girly is very different from lame girly (right?). I think I most enjoyed getting very practical advice from friends and relatives with children. I think if there is any occasion to share sage advice about babies it is at a shower. You know, I also REALLY enjoyed the attention, surprisingly. I usually HATE attention. Mommy-to-be attention is very different, though. It’s this recognition that what you are embarking on is a difficult and permanent and beautiful journey. I think people gravitate towards the life force inside of you. There is something very life-affirming (perhaps species-affirming) about it. Of course, the human species is not at any risk of dying out anytime soon, but, at the risk of sounding like a certifiable pro-lifer, to see a life that a woman is choosing to carry and to guide into this world, can bring those around her a sense of hope that things can be made better than they are now.