Last night I saw a baby emerge, soft and wet and creamy. It only took two pushes, which seems like not that much. But I think the mama would disagree. Because of course, two pushes is only the end of the birth story. She also labored getting to that point, she had that last month of carrying, heavier and heavier, feeling so “done.” And the eight months before. There was a lot to get through before arriving at those two pushes.

I think I see our world emerging again.

Today I heard some kids in a car near me yelling and it took me a moment to realize they were yelling with joy. I had not heard that sound in a long time, and I realized that joyful noises, spontaneous outbursts of happiness from strangers, has be missing. COVID has extracted joy from us.

I am excited to feel joy, to see our city bloom again with festivals and live music and theatre and all of the connections and experiences that bring joy to our lives.

I feel the birth center emerging. This last year has been so hard, our staff carrying the weight of work along with the burdens of family, schooling, masking, and the grind of “what if I get sick, what if my kid, my spouse, my mother gets sick?” But our staff is healthy! We are vaccinated and are excited that so many of our clients are as well.

Slowly, we are emerging from the darkness into the new normal. Just a couple more pushes. There is joy on the other side.

– Nancy