18 May 2006

How preterm labor is like unto a concerto

In the beginning, you kind of go it alone... like a single melody... creating a theme you can come back to and rely on. You feel strong and capable. Confident and positive. Pretty soon, you are joined by friends and family which support you and build you up. And your melody is suddenly much more interesting and pleasing to listen to. This is doable, you think! Everyone helps you find this voice. And how grateful you are.

Then things begin to develop and build and you're not sure what is coming next. Your body begins to play it's own tune without your permission. And it doesn't make much sense to you, or anyone else, considering how well you started off. There is dissonance and you begin to modulate to other keys. You are feeling unstable. You're not sure you can see an end in sight, at least not one you're happy with. Your emotions pile up and inevitably spread confusion among friends and family members. This is not the melody you began with. You long for that safe zone in which you no longer have to worry about pushing yourself too far... or your family too far... you want to get back to feeling confident and positive! Find your voice again!

Somehow, you do find it, and it doesn't take as long as you thought it would. Through sheer determination, continued support and encouragement, you arrive at where you began. And alas, everything comes full circle, familiarity returns, and your haphazard journey is resolved. In the same key it began.

14 comments:

Andrea said...

Preterm labour is not as nice as a concerto though ;) I hope your ok!

Brooke said...

You are a great writer--very profound. I hope everything's ok.

Erickson Family said...

Wow what an analogy. I hope everything is Ok with you. The last weeks were the hardest for me.

Nettie said...

Creative analogy! I imagine with your musical background you think of many things in terms of music. So, I take it you have reached the final measures of this concerto? Hope all is well!

Sabra at Sew a Straight Line said...

I love how you see things. It really is inspiring.

Alicia said...

Very fitting---I never would have made that analogy, but I love it!

Gabriela said...

Very creative. I hope things are going ok! I had preterm labor with my first, but luckily not my 2nd or 3rd. Not fun. And the drugs the put you on, ugggh, I had the shakes and my heart raced for weeks! Not nice stuff. Hang in there.

Millie said...

Oh, the things we go through to get our little ones here...

Bless you! Hope you and baby are doing well. Take it easy.

Kristen said...

What a great analogy!! I hope you're doing alright. You'll have that little one in your arms soon!

Happy Birthday, belated, by the way! :-)

Rachelle said...

You have such a creative mind. I like how you think. Hang in there. I hope Sasha keeps baking for awhile yet!

smart mama said...

hang in there

Anonymous said...

love the analogy. great writing!

ShelahBooksIt said...

That puts a nice spin on what you're experiencing, Lei. I think I might liken it to a horror movie.

Lei said...

Lol! I don't know why I made that analogy... it's not a beautiful thing, really. But I was listening to some music the other day and analyzing it in my mind. I realized how much ebb and flow and unexpected turns are made in many music forms and thought to myself "Hey, I can really relate to that!"