Becoming a mother helped me to become more whole. It helped my broken parts find homes while walking through fire. Fire, the creator of life, ushered my son into this world, but it also formed his mother. My walk through pregnancy was not an easy walk, as it is not for many.

I am only ankle deep in the water, but I close my eyes all the same, breathing in the familiar sensations of the beach, our home. I’m not weightless in the water, but I feel lighter, as if I removed the weight of overwhelm and left it on the shore for someone else to carry for a while.