Mothering

Toddler in wool hat and green coat sitting in a patch of ferns

Mothering

Sing a Song of Spring!

by Donna Bruschi on Mar 24, 2023
Hello Mamas! I just can’t wait for the turn of seasons, I long for the type of days where I can just send little Rita out the door barefoot in a sundress! As the snow continues to melt and songbirds welcome the return of spring with a song, I am reminded that good things truly do come to those who wait. Signs of spring begin to surround us, buds breathe new life into the trees, Mother Maple begins her first flows of sugary goodness, all the while the Earth slowly moves those of us in the northern hemisphere closer to the sun. As northerners we are rewarded for our patience with spring, glorious spring!   But, alas it is still a long way to barefoot days, as spring rains make rain boots an absolute necessity for little explorers! The transition of late winter into spring is a time of hope. We have passed through the long cold winter and we are comforted by the knowledge that warmer more simple days are soon on their way. Days where runny noses and colds are few, while outside play dates and barbeques are plenty! Tiny fingers and toes touch new spring grass for the first time!  I will always carry with me happy memories of my daughter’s first spring, how exciting it was for this touch oriented little being to experience the wonders of nature first hand. Imagine the transition from a winter world filled with carpets, cabinets and electric heating followed by spring filled with fresh grass, cold stones, wet mud and emerging crocus flowers! There must be a burst of neurological activity as babies are able to explore the outside world for the first time. Spring is the mother of the seasons; she gives birth to summer which nourishes life through fall and winter! I find that the energies of spring strongly align themselves with the energies of mothering. So many of our mammalian relatives give birth in the spring, while simultaneously our plant allies blossom and fruit throughout the season, it is no wonder that my mothering instincts so too seem to flourish and blossom. Spring serves as a reminder to rejoice in the magnificence life has to offer. When I witness the explosion of life that spring embodies I am reminded how sacred the beginnings of life truly are.  It is no wonder that most ancient fertility festivals take place in spring! As I look at my daughter, I am humbled. The miracle of life resides in her and it is through her that I have been reborn! Through the journey of motherhood I have become a first hand participant in the miracle of life, the never ending spiral. As woman, as mother, I am sister to the spring, bearer of life, ever connected to all things. As I feel spring move through me I am reassured that I am one with the world, standing just where I am supposed to be. With two feet on the ground I embrace the path that motherhood has taken me on; spring reminds me to let loose, be free and enjoy the ride! Till Next Time, Sing a Song of Spring! Be Well, Jasmine
Water: The Boundaries - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Water: The Boundaries

by Donna Bruschi on Sep 26, 2020
By Donna Bruschi   You came to me as a small fish: frantic, untiring, unceasing Swimming upstream to the place of your birth Your only need, to reach the headwaters. At that moment, I knew and surrendered   And a spring deep inside me sprang. And I held you. You asked me to fill a pond and I did. In time, your incessant demands pushed forth a tiny stream. Droplets skittering over my being, your essence seeping into my dust Each day a new gush, another groove, cut and deepened And still you spurted forth, Carving me in ways I didn’t expect You dribbled and babbled and always, I held you, New shoots sprang up in your presence, needing tender care The spring thaw always eroded. Unearthing pebbles, then rocks Carrying them, bump. bump. While you gurgled and rushed, seeking the path of least resistance. Gaining momentum, deepening, broadening Overrunning your banks, flooding me Gouging me, eroding my boundaries Always shaping and cutting your own path. Always following the path of least resistance In your retreat, detritus and silt to be cleaned or absorbed   An aerial reveals switchbacks and impossible twists That make no sense Until you are walking the banks, walking the lay of the land.   An eddy formed, a deep swirling in my unceasing efforts to hold you. I admired how the sun cracked into a million diamonds on your skin You fell silent, biding your time, building strength, seeking an outlet With a thundering roar as you exploded over the edge, A thing of unimaginable beauty My heart stopped as you went over That unstoppable, terrifying, endless plummet Only to land in another eddy, and me grasping, to hold you Yet forward you moved, dragging rocks, trees, pieces of my heart Your power fluid, spellbinding I was awestruck, lovestruck…watching you go in your churning You embraced, then sidestepped boulders One day, I held you one last time and then, you were gone The swells of the ocean pulled you in and you swam away. I watched for awhile, sad and happy, adding my tears to the confluence Grateful for the spring that still nourishes my heart
Finding calm within the chaos - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Finding calm within the chaos

by Donna Bruschi on Apr 28, 2014
With gardening season in full swing, my daughter’s seemingly exponential pace and zest for life, my husband in Manhattan for work, dog sitting, and my GMO education outreach here in town, my head has just slowed to a stationary position (from full on spinning for the last couple days).
Maple Moon Mama - New Baby New Paltz

Mothering

Maple Moon Mama

by Donna Bruschi on Mar 16, 2014
Wishing you a merry Maple Moon! What is Maple Moon you ask? More commonly referred to as “Sugar Moon”, Maple Moon is the full moon in March. It marks the onset of the sugaring season. For many Eastern Native American cultures this date represents the New Year!