I track the birth of my daughter in moons along with the calendar months. Sweet Celeste, born under a Full Moon, is five moons old today. As I sit here drinking cold coffee in the dark after hours of rocking her back to sleep, soothing her as she works through an upset stomach, I find my mind wandering to how life has changed.

These last five months have stirred the depths of my subconscious, bringing lingering anxieties & fearful doubts to the surface to be processed & released. Everything I’ve done up until this point, the years of counselling, practices of self-care, nurturing self-love & compassion, has prepared me for this process. I find I’m able to return to a state of homeostasis with more ease, sometimes even grace.

I used to feel shame about these moments of struggle; it was hard for me to let go of a vision of perfection. But I never want her to feel the pressure to be perfect, & I know…