Baby Zola is Here

Baby Zola Layla arrived three weeks ago!
I am officially a Grand Goddess Mother!
Kayla made it to the hospital early morning on February 9th, 2012. She was told at 1 am by a nurse at the Mirabeau Hospital that she would need to find her own way to main hospital in St. George’s (an hour from here). She was told that although there was an ambulance available there was no driver to drive the ambulance. Minutes later a voice sailed through our bedroom window. I jumped out of bed to find Kayla and her friends looking for a drive to the capital. Unfortunately we did not have enough gas in the jeep to make the journey (no gas stations open at 1am). Kayla and her two friends found a taxi man to drive them and made it to the hospital with plenty of time. Baby Zola Layla arrived on the eve of the next day.

While writing this blog I began to explore questions related to the ‘whys’ of difficult paths chosen by youth worldwide; and in particular the path of teenage pregnancy. I also began to reflect on my own path and recognized the likelihood of being 16 and pregnant if I too grew up within the same context as Kayla and other young women here in the village.

In the end I decided to leave the ‘whys’ right where they were and instead write about the strength, courage, and resilience of young women worldwide! Teenage moms who don’t give up, who move forward with grace and dignity despite the hardships that follow them around like a domino set tipped to the right; despite the heavy whys and the exhausting stereotypes that put up road blocks to the very paths they continue to conquer turn after turn; despite the difficult context of their lives; despite the judgements that dismiss the whys and places blame on individuals rather than structures. Despite all this, young mothers growing into warrior mothers sheltering and protecting, not only their own children, but the many children who find themselves attracted to years of maternal wisdom and experience.

Despite but not forgetting the ‘whys’, Baby Zola Layla is here and she is wrapped tightly in the collective butterfly wings of her extended family and she is safe and there are many aunties, grandmas, great grandmas, cousins and a grand goddess mother to care and support. And there is young mother Kayla doing the best with what she has radiating, courage, strength and resiliency in every step.