Last night in a moment of clarity I had a realization. I have been fairly silent on this blog about the little bundle of joy I will be welcoming to the world in just about seven weeks. I have experienced the gamut of emotions associated with this event and pretty much every event that I've encountered or has replayed in my mind over the past seven months. What a ride it has been, but in the end I still know I am right where I am meant to be and she is meant to be my baby girl, and me her mom.

I digress, though. My realization as I have fully entered this seventh month of pregnancy is the metaphor for this stage being the 20th mile of a full 26.2 mile marathon. I know intellectually that the end is near, however, still not in full sight. I am depleting of energy and it is difficult to stomach sustenance at this point. Physical stamina is important, but mental strength is paramount here. Though tired, the core of me remains and the drive to see myself across the "finish line" will get me there. I have no doubt.

So while the two are very different experiences in my life for a multitude of reasons, they are very much the same. Having finished a full marathon (and perhaps previously giving birth to a baby girl), I know I will be well throughout the experience. I wouldn't be honest if I said that the unknown of welcoming a new life wasn't somewhat daunting to me, but I am as ready as I'll ever be to meet my tiniest mini-me. I love her so much already!

"It's just another day."

I can't tell you how many birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and other special days I have made that statement. Over the past few years I realize that this statement was made in the past in concert with my humble personality. I continue to remain humble, however, I now realize just how much this statement belittled the meaning and symbolism behind some of the very important days I was labeling as unimportant. With this awareness, I have opened my eyes to the need of celebrating future special days and remembering their deeper meanings. I am grateful for the knowledge of this lesson.

"Challenging periods are our invitation to grow, to reorder at a higher level of expression. It's part of an eternal process of growth and evolution. As human beings, our evolution is one of consciousness, of developing a keener awareness of purpose and connection to the Divine, and thus to all of life.

Evolution doesn't eliminate challenges, but as we grow, our relationship to challenge becomes more nuanced. We learn to play. We notice disturbances in patterns and celebrate them as harbingers of growth. The less we resist, the more easily we navigate through unfamiliar territory.

We develop agility, flexibility, and openness. We become meaningful participants in life's ever-expanding expression. We develop new ideas and creative solutions to previously daunting problems. We learn to lean into the substrate of perfection to inspire us with new possibilities."

~Erika Luckett