Pregnancy Lessons: Discomfort

I’m learning a lot about pregnancy by watching my wife. Pregnancy always precedes birth. My wife is pregnant with our first baby, a child that is growing inside her. Soon, in July, she will give birth. Pregnancy is the tension between conception and actualization. There is a type of pregnancy that we all experience: where a notion, an idea, a vision, or desire takes root in our hearts, impregnates us, grows and develops, and eventually we give birth to it. After the initial excitement of conception, some serious development has to happen when you’re pregnant. I have an app on my iPhone that tracks our the development of our baby.  I remember at first it reported the baby was the size of a “sweet pea” (which kind of stuck as a nickname). According to the app, today our baby is the size of a “sweet potato” (not such a good nickname). Healthy things grow; growing creates discomfort. My wife’s growing pregnancy has started causing her discomfort: it’s more difficult to get comfortable to fall asleep, its harder to get up from the couch, to get dressed … etc. We understand more discomfort is on the way; we’re not even half way yet! In the same way, when we’re impregnated with a notion, dream, or vision there is going to be discomfort as it develops. For things to change, things need to change. One caution: change simply for the sake of change isn’t development. Change isn’t always for the better just because it’s newer. Change is the consequence of development, not the goal itself. When you’re pregnant with an idea, a dream, or a vision, changes that accompany the development of that idea, dream, or vision aren’t arbitrary. They are necessary, and their necessity is welcomed. When we found out that we were expecting our first child I realized that my life, as I know it, was about to change. I’ve enjoyed my life, no doubt. But … I’m not arrogant enough to think that I’ve got it all together. So, when it comes to the adjustments that are to come … all I can say is “bring it”. I’m pretty sure the changes are going to be uncomfortable, but I’m convinced they will be for my best. What are you willing to endure discomfort to give birth to? If you’re not willing to suffer the discomfort of the necessary changes, can you really give birth to something great?

#discomfort #Pregnancy