As a child, one of my memories of spending afternoons at home with my mom is about watching soap operas, hahaha. My mom liked to knit while she watched them, and I was almost always by her side, playing or doing homework.
According to the story of the soap opera, there were times when my mom would comment on the scenes, or even the main characters’ hairstyles or outfits.
The few times I paid attention, I found a common scene in several of the soap operas. That scene was very confusing to me. It turns out there was a moment when the main characters shared a passionate kiss, and a few scenes later, the lady playing the main character was on her way to the hospital to give birth to her baby.
Again, I wasn’t paying much attention, but what I noticed was that when the expectant mother was in the hospital, it was pure shouting. Not just from her, but from her bedmates as well.
As time went by, and a few more soap operas played, I was curious enough to ask my mom what all the screaming was about. Without stopping her knitting, my mom replied:
“It’s because when a mother is going to have a baby, it hurts a lot. Those pains are called labor pains.”
“Hmmmm, did it hurt you, Mom?”
“No, my love. Your brother was born by C-section, and so were you. I did have discomfort, but I didn’t feel it because of the medicine.”
I received her answer, and that was enough for me at that moment.
From what I remember, I was the first in my group of friends to get pregnant, so I had never talked to anyone close to me other than my mom about pregnancy issues, and ouch… labor pains. My only references were the dramatic screams from those soap operas I watched with my mom.
Fast forward to the moment I first found out I was pregnant. I was so happy, imagining myself with all the impatience in the world, holding my baby in my arms. And my impatience grew along with the size of my belly.
Undoubtedly, the time came to start thinking about childbirth. Other stories came to me, and as a first-time mom, they all terrified me. The common denominator was that each mother said:
“It’s all worth it. Once you have your baby in your arms, nothing else matters. Nothing. You’ll see.”
And you, have you been around someone with labor pains? Or have you experienced labor pains yourself?
I read a lot about medications during pregnancy and childbirth, and the time came when I decided not to take painkillers when my baby was born. I sought to make labor a team effort, between my baby and me, and taking very strong medications affects that joint effort. At least that’s what I understood at the time.
Finally, that long-awaited day arrived for me. My due date was November 30th, and on the night of the 29th, my labor pains began.
I knew my baby was in my womb, but I still hadn’t seen her, I couldn’t hold her, until she was born.
Surprisingly, Scripture tells us that creation and all of us suffer labor pains, and that salvation is already here. Fullness is what is coming, it is unfolding…
And what I heard from other mothers was also true for me. That after holding my baby in my arms, all the pain vanished.
Like salvation, I already had my baby, and fullness was holding her in my arms.
And it is through the Spirit that we long for fullness.
What is the fullness you long for? Can you endure the pains of labor?
If the Spirit leads you, share with Jesus the carpenter whatever your pains may be. And perhaps they may become labor pains that lead you to fulfillment.
Marisol
P.S. We can hear about how the Spirit helps us in the readings for the vigil of Pentecost Sunday, year/cycle C.
