Dear Beautiful Girl – I Carried You

Dear Beautiful Girl –

Some day, when my bones are weary with age and your arms are full of your own babies, or perhaps their babies, I will pull your wrinkling face to mine and whisper to you about how I carried you.

Your fragile newborn self, your round-headed infant person, your laughing, squalling, joyful raging toddler limbs, your muscle and kicks and tears, your smooth-soled feet and your climbing fingers, the sweat of your curls on my back- I carried you.

My whole heart and your whole being, wrapped to each other, I carried you. On the days we paced dismal in each other’s failure, the days we climbed mountains, the days that were only just days- I carried you. Like a memory, like my own body, like every precious wild and temporary thing, I carried you, like the weight of the holy, like the deep grounding center of joy.
Today, you are sweetly sleep-breathing between my shoulders, and someday I will remind you, every day, where you have come from, where you belong.
I have always carried you. I will carry you always.

Friends – I am SO excited to announce the launch of the Girl of Cardigan Print Shop.  This piece, artfully designed by my gorgeous babywearing buddy Jill Smyth, is our first offering, either as an 8×10 print or a digital download for you to print as you will.  Click here to hop over to the shop and order yours!

This post has been updated to include affiliate links.