But this book has been such a blessing in my life and is probably the best book I have ever read, honestly.
My friend Rachelle recommended The Gift of Giving Life to me a little while ago. I'm not much of a book buyer, I would rather just check something out from the library. But after reading the blog for a few days I knew that I had to go find this book. It took three stores but I finally got a hold of a copy. It was really hard to put down and I finished it in a week (not bad for over 500 pages).
Basically, it's a book about the spirituality of childbirth, motherhood, womanhood told from an LDS perspective. It is complied by five LDS women, all with different strengths and insights that they brought into this book. It talks about just about everything under the sun in relation to womanhood such as all different types of birth stories, abortion, adoption, infertility, post partum depression, dreams of children before they are born... the list goes on and on. They talk a lot about the different women in the scriptures and their births or struggles with fertility, how the atonement is so parallel to birth. They even talk about a lot of things that you wouldn't normally hear about, such as thoughts on Heavenly Mother and meditation.
What I love the most about this book is that I felt so connected to my fellow LDS sisters. In the last few years I've felt like the minority among my good friends and family members who were raised in the church like I was but are no longer are part of the church or have it in their lives. I completely respect their decisions and opinions. But at the same time I have never felt that way. I love being a woman in the LDS church. I feel honored, and loved in my religion. I've often wondered if I'm totally missing something... if I'm supposed to feel belittled or less than a man because I can't hold the priesthood or be a bishop? Am I supposed to feel bad because women don't wear pants to church? Because I never have... it just doesn't make sense to me. All of these topics that have been coming up, that women in the LDS faith are having the wool pulled over our eyes I've never agreed with. I don't feel that way. I've never felt more loved and respected as a woman anywhere in the world as I have within my religion. Reading this book it was so refreshing to me that there are other LDS women out there that feel the same way that I do about our religion, about womanhood, and the divine role of motherhood, and about being a woman in the LDS faith.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but I HIGHLY recommend this book to all women in the LDS faith. It was so uplifting to read. I feel like a lot of my fears in this pregnancy because of my past have been settled and comforted due to this book. It has been amazing to read and to learn from all the different experiences in there.
So my friend Rachelle who recommended this book to me failed to tell me that it was her sister who co-authored this book! I figured it out when I read about her in there and read the birth story of her son as it was told by her husband in the book. Last night there was a book party where two of the authors would be meeting and anyone who wanted to come and talk about the book could. So we headed down for a fun and fulfilling night to talk about womanhood, motherhood, and God. It was so nice to be in such a good, positive environment like that!
I tried to just soak in the good vibes that were all around. With everything that has happened this past week and with what has happened in my last birthing experience I was ready to just sit back, remember that God is in charge and that he loves and takes care of his daughters. It was nice to be surrounded by women who feel like birth is a spiritual event, not just a "medical event" that happens. It's bringing a spirit son or daughter into the world.
Rachelle, Me, Robyn Allgood and Lani Axman (both co-authors).
I felt kind of silly asking them to sign my book, but why the heck not! Once again, I can't recommend this book enough. I think it's time I start reading it again for round #2...
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