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19 October 2010

Blessings for My Girl, I

For a while now, I've been wanting to record a series of blessings for my girl, so she has them for the rest of her life. This is the first.



The text, in case you can't hear:

My darling one,
I have no doubt that you will excel
in the things our world calls feminine,
that you will
nurture the future when it lies in your arms 
and make your peace with 
the daily tasks
that give small ones a place to grow
and encourage him
to get out of bed tomorrow. 
But if there ever comes a day
when you must fight,
by word, or wit, or weapon
against injustice,
to defend the ones you love,
in the name of those who have no name,
know this:
the warrior-spirit
can call a woman's heart its home
and lie at peace beside
the quiet spirits
you also find inside.
There is no inherent contradiction
to rest in one moment,
work in another
and fight in the one after that,
and there is little that can stand against
the fire in a woman's heart.
May you tend the flames
and control the fire within
so you can say,
when you dust your hands on your apron
and sheathe a knife in your boot,
"This is woman, too."

Small one, I hope you never have to do true battle. But if you do - no, when you do - may you fight well and never feel like your fight is in contradiction to the rest of your nature or your life. May you feel as much peace changing the world with Eowyn and Cordelia as you do with Anne and Emily. May you learn, like Jo, to live in harmony with yourself, all of yourself, and may you love the life you lead, treasuring every moment, even the hard ones.

4 comments:

Karmen M. said...

so beautiful. I know it is for your daughter, but it spoke to my heart this morning. Thank you for sharing! It has blessed me.

Heather said...

Oh, my goodness. This is beautiful. I absolutely love this. Thank you for sharing with us.

christianne said...

I love this, Sarah! What a beautiful thing to do for your little girl, and the sentiments ring so true ... who you are, that person is exactly who would say these exact words and truths to Mirren.

Love you.

Laura said...

What an amazing gift you are giving your small one in the start of these blessings! So beautiful. I am more than just a wee bit moved by what these words offer.