If you’re looking for pregnancy advice, it’s out there for you. If you’re not looking for pregnancy advice, it’s coming to find you.

Somebody else can bombard you with tips on swaddling. I don’t have any advice for you; what I have to say, deep down, you already know.

Mothers, would-be mothers, long-awaited mothers, unwilling mothers, thrilled mothers, natural mothers, modern mothers, frightened mothers, mothers who don’t yet know they are mothers:

You can do this.

I don’t know you, but I know a lot about you. I know that you are the product of 2 billion years of evolution—and, at the moment, you are winning.

I know that there has never been a creation story told anywhere on Earth that is half as extraordinary as the one taking place in your body. Gods and heroes haven’t got a thing on the quiet deluge of cellular division you are capable of orchestrating.

I know that you are strong because strength is not the hammer; it’s the forge. “You’re as big as a house!” you’ll hear. Bullshit. You are a mountain, and the wind blowing hard through the timberline booms with a voice that says: do not fuck with me.

You’re a lava flow cooling in the Pacific, all heat and steam and purpose. You’ll change—oh yes, you’ll change—and what you’ll be when you’re done is two people. If that doesn’t blow your mind, it’s because you haven’t really thought about it yet.

You are not diminished; you are enhanced. Whatever you thought you were before, you’re better. Whatever scares you now, you’ll conquer. Whoever you were is exactly who you are still going to be, only with more love and less fear.

You are a lightning bolt, and you can do this.

10 Responses to “You Can Do This”

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    Kate

    Awesome Post – so wish I head this 16 years ago – maybe I would have stopped beating myself up. Maybe I can now…

    Reply
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    PinotNinja

    AMEN!

    Reply
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    warmginger

    Reblogged this on Warm Ginger and commented:
    I don’t Reblog very often, but I loved this!

    Reply
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    Tasha

    Thank you, this is awesome, you are awesome

    Reply
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    Izarra Varela

    You are the lightning bolt, Kevin Moore. Thank you for existing.

    Reply
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    theblogofpumba

    I LOVE this! Procreation is the most amazing miracle of them all.

    Reply
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    scajomar

    I am in tears reading this. And I’m about as far away from imminent motherhood as I can get, age 60. But Kevin, you have a way of making everyone within the sound of your voice just glad to be alive at the same time you are.

    Reply
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    June

    If someone had given me this talk when I had my first child what a different world it would have been inside my head. This is so empowering for all mothers but first time mothers especially. Well done.

    Reply
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    proseofrose

    This is so beautiful. I wish that I had read this when I was expecting. I will be sharing these words with expectant mothers I know who need them.

    Reply
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    Shanna

    If I had seen this seven or eight months ago, it would be something I would save to read daily – awesome post 🙂

    Reply

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