Strength

When I have told people that I give birth without an epidural, I often hear the comment ,"Wow, you must be strong", or "oh, I'm not that strong", and this has lead me to contemplate what strength really is. When I think of strong people, I think of people who have had to make difficult decisions. People who choose to go a certain direction, or act a certain way in the face of great hardships to achieve a greater outcome.

In truth, I don't feel like I am much stronger than any other women giving birth. Pregnancy, giving birth, and motherhood all are difficult decisions that require great physical and mental sacrifice. Yet I think most mothers would agree, that these sacrifices are worth it. The decision to become a mother, requires great strength. For me experiencing labor has sent me on a journey of self discovery and truth that I have come to value. So much so that, yes, I choose to experience that pain. But through that pain I have gained understanding. So my strength does not necessarily come from being able to withstand pain, but valuing the experience and understanding what I gain from that. Our strength as mothers could be the same.