Metamorphosis, Guest Post by Miranda Hersey
June 7th, 2011
My daughter sleeps. Like her brothers before her, she enters a cocoon of slumber each afternoon. Hours pass as her body makes its unfathomable changes, propelling her into adulthood. She is overpowered during this alchemy of adolescence.
Upstairs in Emma’s room, I find her curled onto the floor under a fleece blanket, brown hair spilling across one arm, laptop dark. At 15, her limbs are still visibly lengthening, extending her to my own height and perhaps beyond.
She sleeps so soundly that I cannot bear to wake her for dinner. Thirty more minutes.
As my daughter sleeps her way into who she is, I too have spun a cocoon. I surround myself with books and words and images; through information and intuition and the connection to others I am changing from the inside out. These changes thrill me with presence and possibilities. At 41, I too am becoming who I am. I stare in wonder at the skins I leave behind.
Transformation saturates the clapboards and corners of our home. In turn, each member of our family walks his or her lifelong passage of everyday miracles. Forces of nature and nurture take over and mold us like clay on a pottery wheel: The somatic journey of pregnancy and birth and breastfeeding. Infancy, becoming bipedal. Parenthood. Childhood. Finding one’s voice, literally and metaphorically. The discovery of passion and purpose. The learning that makes physical changes in the pathways of our minds. The love for others that makes indelible marks in our hearts.
It is my gift to be witness, and my gift to take part.
::::::
Miranda Hersey is a writer, artist, creativity coach, and host of the group blog Studio Mothers. As a business owner and the mother of five, Miranda is passionate about helping other mothers live deeply satisfying, creative lives. She lives in rural Massachusetts, happily overrun with people, books, and animals.
18 Responses
Very moving post, and such beautiful language. I love this; it expresses something that is so true. Thank you so much.
Posted by: Margaret | Jun 7, 2011 at 2:06 am |
I can almost see your daughter growing. I experience the same with my grandchildren…beautiful analogy
Posted by: Maron | Jun 7, 2011 at 7:14 am |
I just loved this post. Thank you, Miranda.
Posted by: MakieDoll | Jun 7, 2011 at 10:03 am |
This is absolutely beautiful..and so speaks to my own experiences. Both of ‘mothering’..and of metamorphosizing and growing and changing along with our children!
Thank-you for this!
Posted by: Marcie | Jun 7, 2011 at 10:05 am |
I am always in awe of women who seem to do so many wonderful things along with raising their children. I only have one eight year old child and I can’t seem to get anything done for myself when she’s with me… Although I do consider my time with her creative but it’s more collaborative.
Posted by: Tia Tuenge | Jun 7, 2011 at 10:51 am |
@Margaret, @Maron, @MakieDoll, @Marcie–thank you so much for your lovely comments. It’s a joy to share with the CED community! (And big hugs to Leah for the opportunity.)
Posted by: Miranda Hersey | Jun 7, 2011 at 11:17 am |
@Tia, being creative “with” your child, rather than “despite” your child, is a wonderful. At one point in the near future you’ll find yourself with more time to devote to your own work–and by keeping your creative muscles strong through collaboration with your daughter, when the time comes you’ll be able to jump right in (rather than spending years trying to get the gears turning again). That’s a significant advantage. Go, you!
Posted by: Miranda Hersey | Jun 7, 2011 at 11:21 am |
Beautiful post, as they always are from you, Miranda. Nice to see you over here!
Posted by: Kelly Warren | Jun 7, 2011 at 2:32 pm |
Lovely post. Naps are so good for those times of change.
Cynthia
http://coffeeonthepatio.com
http://www.cynthiasblog.com
Posted by: Cynthia | Jun 7, 2011 at 7:05 pm |
One word. WOW. Great post. I was captivated at the start of reading this post and moved by the end of it. I loved the way you worded all of that and how it made me think of my own life and household, even though my two girls are under the age of 4. I visited your creative coaching site and I just want to say I feel like I was meant to read this and find you. I’m going to take the assessment tool and see what I find out about myself and what I need to change in that department. Thanks so much for this guest post!
Posted by: Zoe | Jun 7, 2011 at 7:43 pm |
Many thanks, @Kelly and @Cynthia! ♥
Posted by: Miranda Hersey | Jun 8, 2011 at 9:11 am |
Your comment means so much to me, Zoe. Thank you! I can’t wait to learn more about your current life framework. xo
Posted by: Miranda Hersey | Jun 8, 2011 at 9:13 am |
Oooh, I love this post! So inspiring, and so crafted.
It reminds me very much of a book I was reading earlier this year – very transformative: When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions by Sue Monk Kidd.
It is all about cocooning, transformation (especially in the dark times, in the long waiting times when it seems like nothing is happening).
Metamorphosis has been an occasional theme for me over the past year – this post has brought it back to the forefront, again. Thank you!
Posted by: amateur-in-art | Jun 9, 2011 at 11:51 pm |
Beautifully written, heartfelt post.
My favourite line is “I too have spun a cocoon. I surround myself with books and words and images; through information and intuition and the connection to others I am changing from the inside out” – this echos my own journey & I love the way you’ve worded it.
Kat X
Posted by: Katina Wright | Jun 11, 2011 at 4:51 am |
[...] work yet, the older boys were busy with friends, and my daughter was passed out cold (more on that here) so Aidan, Liam, and I had dinner on our own, followed by an overly gluttonous feast of organic [...]
Posted by: Miranda: One Dreamy Day in June « Studio Mothers: Life & Art | Jun 14, 2011 at 8:47 am |
that really is a lovely way to move from thinking of your daughter’s changes into how that manifests for you as a mother. thanks for sharing it. i feel like i am in constant transformation in reflection of my kids and where they are, every day.
Posted by: cath c | Jun 28, 2011 at 9:22 am |
Miranda, How beautiful and elegant are your words. What an eloquent description of transformation. Thank you for this!!!
Posted by: Tammy | Jun 30, 2011 at 2:24 am |
[...] Guest blog post at Creative Every Day. [...]
Posted by: 2011~2012: Review, Celebrate, Plan | Studio Mothers: Life & Art | Jan 13, 2012 at 2:07 pm |