First published on the MemoryBlogger May 8, 2022
Assumptions, accusations, pity, and blame
All emit from a society, uneducated in me
Questions, inquiries, probes, and shame
Try to blanket my existence; why can’t they see?
Offspring is tied intimately to women’s worth
But her significance is rooted deep from within
Her value is not attached simply to giving birth
A childless womb does not equate to sin
A nurturing spirit is a gift from above
But some tend to narrow it in scope
You don’t get to decide whom He gave me to love
For when He made me, he gave her hope
Two broken spirits, a single dad, a disrupted life
God chose to heal us, one-by-one-by one
Our lives were changed when I became Eddy’s wife
Abandonment faded – I became her bonus-mom
Women nurture pets, angels, and children of others
These words are simply a reflection of my life – my fable
I bet there’s more women like me – idle wombs, yet still loving mothers
So world, show respect to a woman – don’t judge, assume, and don’t label
~Viv
A Note from Tara:
This poem from Viv is a mic drop. Each time I reach the end, a strong silence follows.
My journey has been long to learn what these impactful lines share. But once I gained this wisdom, my entire world changed. This is why I absolutely love this poem shared through the MemoryBlogger!
Some readers have asked me if I am Savannah Childs in The Other Side of Quiet. In those early days, I couldn't openly admit, "Yes, there are some autobiographical parts." (At least in regard to the struggles Savannah Childs had with motherhood). What I can say now is writing that book certainly helped start my healing.
Writing tends to do that. It nurtures, offers insight, shares love, and works as a kind healer. I have been an avid journal writer since I was eight years old. At the time of my baptism, my bishop (our congregation's clergyman) gifted me my first journal and I never looked back. Throughout nearly my entire life, I have filled volumes and volumes of journals which have helped me to heal, learn, reflect, and grow in ways that only come through the act of writing.
No gift is better to me than the gift of a journal. It's like a friend opening itself to me, with all its unjudgemental pages, saying, "Let's walk together. Let's uncover each new day as the gift that it is. Let's fill these pages with moments and record who you are becoming. Let's celebrate the journey together. I am here for you. Let's grow on."
FEB 2023 GIVEAWAY
Win a beautiful MemoryBlogger journal.
Tara's Note to the Lucky Winner:
"Trust me, it is tough to give this gift away! I really do want to keep it for myself!"