MOTHER STORK

I’ve always wondered where the legend about storks bringing babies came from.  Just how did the stork get its rep as mankind’s “mother” delivering babies to parents-in-waiting?  A good ole google search revealed the answer.  Apparently the European white stork often nests on roofs and chimneys in the spring, a time when many babies are born.  Could that be it?  So anticlimactic!

But then I read more about the stately stork. 

At about four weeks after birth, stork chicks start to stand up in the nest and flap their wings.  After just a few months, storks’ flight feathers grow in and they learn to fly.  Speaking of which, storks are beautiful in flight.  Just like our Stork Support logo, they fly by soaring on warm air currents with long, strong wings.  With their necks stretched out and legs dangling behind them, storks in flight are recognizable even from far away.  Breathtaking!

As I read, a light bulb went on as to the link between the stork and motherhood.  Like baby storks, it takes us a few weeks to recover from our delivery to stand up, flap our wings and become more comfortable in our new role.  Just like the stork, within a few months we “take flight” – we are usually up and running, multitasking to take care of ourselves and our family.  Just as storks in flight are breathtaking, so are mothers “in flight.”  Have you ever taken a moment to watch yourself as you go about your day?  Waking early after not much sleep, caring for baby, caring for siblings, caring for house and partner, maybe going to work and more.  We’re often hard on ourselves, but the reality is we exhibit strength on a daily basis.  And that is pretty breathtaking to me.

Sincerely,

From the Stork’s Nest ~

Liz