Birth and Growth

The most wonderful thing I have ever seen is the birth of a child. I have had that privilege three times, each occasion as special as before. I was filled with awe, wonder, excitement and love at each new addition to our family. Seeing my wife in labor was harrowing but as her pain turned to joy there were only smiles and cuddles for our new arrivals. We had three beautiful boys. Our families rejoiced and shortly after many relatives joined us to celebrate and to mark the beginning of their spiritual journeys. Although there had been great physical pain there was also great joy. It is increasingly understood how important the natural childbirth process is for the development of the immune system. During the passage through the birth canal mother endows baby with a vast number of bacteria to provide immunity against the harsh conditions of the outside world. There are also bacteria that the child will need to help it digest mother’s milk and in the first days of life this milk provides additional bacteria to establish the colonies necessary for healthy digestion and immune function. It is now known that children born by C section have incomplete bacterial protection and are much more prone to autoimmune problems in later life brought on by intestinal permeability or Leaky Gut. Growth is truly miraculous. Watching children start to walk, to speak and play with complete immersion and abandon is one of the greatest pleasures of a parent. The parent–child bond provides the ultimate learning environment nurturing confidence and curiosity in its world. Even as the children grow to maturity and are adapted for interfacing with the world of their time, parents continue to watch them from afar, still in awe at their abilities. Recently I’ve pondered on the similarity between childbirth and the trauma of mental and spiritual growth. Imagine the difficulty of a doctor, trained exclusively in the pharmaceutical approach, to come to the realisation that basic nutrition can resolve most chronic illnesses without any side effects. Everything that he/she has believed for years is suddenly challenged by a new reality. As they say – ‘It’s very hard for a person to understand something when their livelihood depends on their not understanding’. It makes me more appreciative of those many courageous medical doctors who are innovating with complementary treatments to heal the gut, prevent heart disease and cure cancer etc. The inertia of the system is not easily overcome. Their efforts, especially in the treatment of cancer, are met with derision and contempt if not outright hostility. They endure great pain before they see their efforts rewarded in the smiling faces of their cured patients. Patient by patient they are returning life to the world. Some years ago my marriage ended plunging me into a very dark place. The comfort I had become used to was torn away, my environment changed forever. I cried with the intensity of any newborn but even in my pain and anguish a new life was beginning. It took a total dislocation for me to awaken to a new spiritual dimension in my life. The pain of my birthing experience has sown a full quota of emotional tools that now populate my psyche providing a well-trained immunity. That’s not to say that I’m immune to upset, far from it; but I’m better able to cope with it; I’m more emotionally aware than before. Could it be that a rebound relationship provides a ‘spiritual C section’ that impedes healthy emotional development? Just as an infant deprived of love from a primary caregiver will die, so I have come to understand that throughout my trials I was deeply cared for by a creator God who wants me to have health and happiness. She also wants my efforts, as an adult, to act courageously in bringing this truth to others and to be a living an example of healing. Every day’s a school day!