My children, three robust little beings, have made death much more real to me.
I can't remember my own beginnings; my earliest memories are spotty dreams. So I feel as if I'll end in the same vague way.
But Saskia had a definite, dramatic starting point. I can give concrete details - the day of the week, the room number, the precise time - of her birth. And it suddenly became clear to me that she will have as explicit an end.
Maybe that is partly what drives the fierceness of mother love: the desperate realization that all living things die.
did leif and ariana have definite, dramatic starting points too, or does saskia's beginning stand out most because she was first?
Posted by: Diana | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 08:01 PM
They all did, but it was with Saskia that it first struck me that my child would one day die.
I think that's partly why new parents are so terrified of SIDS. It's not hard to imagine that your child could leave as suddenly as they arrived.
Posted by: Martina | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 08:09 PM
Definitely one of the biggest fears as a mother...the thought of losing one of my children is something I try avoid thinking about.
Recently a friend mentioned something interesting to me. That a mother's second worst nightmare is dying herself and leaving young children behind. That really made me stop, think and realize it's probably true.
Posted by: Rachel | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 09:29 PM
I first realized that birth and death are not black and white, but shades of grey, when our first child was born. It was a long, hard labour after a very difficult pregnancy and he had the cord wrapped around his neck. His APGAR was frighteningly low and my doctor later described it to me as "a little bit more than dead"... a skillful group of pediatric doctors quickly revived him and he is now a big healthy 7 year old. (Thank God for doctors and nurses!) But, ever since that day, I have been much more sensitive to the fragility of life.
Posted by: Tessa | Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 05:54 AM
In light of recent news (N. grandmother passing away) I have reflected on a life well lived.
On the other end, news of a family friend losing his sons young life, taken away in an accident.
Connections.
We are all connected by this thread called life.
Posted by: Celeste | Monday, November 26, 2007 at 07:09 PM