Sometimes Less is More

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
I almost didn't even change October's blog photo or background.  It seems I can barely keep my head above the pool of "stuff I have to do" these days.  I feel lazy and cranky.  I didn't go to tennis lessons today, because there is simply too much to do.  My kids are already feeling the effects of Mama not being home all the time and I am one month into school.

But it is all good stuff.  So, while I feel cranky one minute, I feel incredibly grateful the next.  I am finally able to pursue my dream to become a midwife.  I was at my school this week to view a documentary, Birth Story, about Ina May Gaskin, author of Spiritual Midwifery.  They showed a breech birth that happened years ago at The Farm in Tennessee.  I keep visualizing that birth, experiencing the feeling of watching it and being on the edge of my seat, and sensing my chest expanding into a deep gratitude that I too will one day be witness to the beauty of childbirth...day after day.  How lucky to be able to have a career that is that fulfilling?

So, as October settles into the second week, I am thinking about the blog and how I can gracefully accept where I am in my life and the limitations it places on the time I have to commit to "extra" things.  The blog has meant so much to me for nearly three years, that as the thought arose to let it go, I immediately knew I could not.

Sometimes less is more.  I see the blog changing into less of a strive for daily posts, and more into a simple message that even busy moms can find the time to give to themselves a little every month.  My goal for the month of sign language is to learn:

• the alphabet.
• 10 words that can serve me in the birth community 
• a simple conversation starter.

I invite you to join me in finding the time to learn a little something new every month.  It doesn't have to take a lot of time to include something that can expand your horizons.  This month, I get to catch a glimpse of a community that, although, lives amongst me, is completely foreign.  What a blessing.