MOTHER’S DAY 2023

To all the incredible mothers out there on this Mother's Day 2023, I want you to know that you are not alone in feeling overwhelmed and questioning why you ever started down this path. It's a sentiment that's shared by the protagonist of the PBS series "Call The Midwife," whose tired voice asks at the start of every episode, "Why did I ever start this?" But what sets this show apart is that it always ends on a note of hope and love, offering a lesson that reminds us why we keep going.

One such lesson comes from Season 5, Episode 8, where the show's narrator muses, "Life is a river, always flowing, always changing. And in that river, we have to find our own way. Some of us will fight against the current, while others will let it carry them along. But in the end, we all end up in the same place. The only thing that really matters is the journey, the people we meet along the way, and the love we share with them."

For me, the reason I started Nesting Days was to change the way we welcome new life into the world, but it was also to change the world itself. Although I may not have had the chance to meet many of you in person, I hope that in some small way, I've been able to touch your lives. Helping you on your journey, whether you are a mother, father, caregiver, friend, or family member, it has been an honor and a privilege.

At times, the road may seem long and the challenges insurmountable, but I want to remind you that you are not alone. We are all in this together, flowing down the river of life, each of us finding our own way. And while the destination may be the same for all of us, it's the people we meet along the way and the love we share with them that truly matters.

I love this Sufi saying:

No one arrives at journey’s end alone, but in the company with all whose lives have touched ours hearts.

• Thank those who came before you
• Bless those who travel with you
• Help those who will come after you

Warmest Wishes,

Julie