Great piece, and hits home pretty closely for me, as I am nearing the end of the “fourth trimester” myself and I’ll admit, one of my ongoing irrational fears was/is that I’ll never be able to write (read/ focus/ work) the same as I used to before baby… but this gives me much encouragement :)
As for a stable self, I’ve long taken a more fluid take on “selfhood”, but I think pregnancy and motherhood are, if nothing else, have been undoing and reorganizing and remaking forces for me in ways that I frankly didn’t expect. I’m still in the Soup, as it were, but I have glimmers of the other side, and I love this way of thinking about it!
Nika! thank you so much for reading, relating, and writing here to share how this piece resonates with your own experience. it's a treat to get a glimpse of another kindred writer & mother's reflections and process while swimming in the Soup! I very much relate to the unexpectedness and surprise of all the remakings underway. keep writing <3
I loooove this! It immediately made me think of "Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-ʿArabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity" by William Chittick and his idea of tajalli a unique every changing divine manifestation, always changing, always becoming, always dying to itself in its eternal becoming
Great piece, and hits home pretty closely for me, as I am nearing the end of the “fourth trimester” myself and I’ll admit, one of my ongoing irrational fears was/is that I’ll never be able to write (read/ focus/ work) the same as I used to before baby… but this gives me much encouragement :)
As for a stable self, I’ve long taken a more fluid take on “selfhood”, but I think pregnancy and motherhood are, if nothing else, have been undoing and reorganizing and remaking forces for me in ways that I frankly didn’t expect. I’m still in the Soup, as it were, but I have glimmers of the other side, and I love this way of thinking about it!
Nika! thank you so much for reading, relating, and writing here to share how this piece resonates with your own experience. it's a treat to get a glimpse of another kindred writer & mother's reflections and process while swimming in the Soup! I very much relate to the unexpectedness and surprise of all the remakings underway. keep writing <3
Always such a pleasure reading your letters.
it’s an honor to be read by you, Sonam! Thank you 🤍
I loooove this! It immediately made me think of "Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-ʿArabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity" by William Chittick and his idea of tajalli a unique every changing divine manifestation, always changing, always becoming, always dying to itself in its eternal becoming
Thank you so much for reading and sharing this, Diane! And for the recommendation— I look forward to reading Chittick’s piece
Let me know if you read it! It's been decades since I did. Would love to hear your thoughts.