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I just cannot contain my incredible joy of the blessingway my sisters held for me Saturday night and I *have* to tell you all about it!!!

All I knew was when, where and who was coming as my sister (Terri) wanted me to have my very closest friends there. I wanted a small, intimate blessingway so there were only 7 of us. My two sisters, my Mom and three friends were invited. Of my friends, Stephanie is a former client who is now a doula and I have been mentoring her, incredible young woman! Dylis is a close friend and also a former client, actually my first, and I have watched her two boys since the oldest was 18 months old, he is now 5. Katelyn is a dear friend who is the LLL leader here and a HBAC mom.

It started with introductions of how each first met me. A wonderful sharing time which was light and humorous as we talked about children and births. Then I was pampered with a massage, pedicure, manicure, RRL tea, chocolate and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. How wonderful!!! We talked and talked about everything.

When we were finished we all sat on the floor in a circle and Terri then gave each of us a candle, mine being an angel, and we lit them with her explaining that each was to light their candle when I was in labour and think and pray for me, my baby and our birth. Terri then explained that each person will read a letter each wrote to me. Well gals, it was incredible... and the tissues were abundant. It started with my mother and her love of my pregnancy, when she first met me after she woke up, her firstborn daughter with tons of hair... I am tearing up just thinking about it. She is a poet!! Each told of what I meant to them and it ended with Stephanie who paralleled me to her mother as her mother was killed when she was 13 and my being there for her when she needed me, through her second pregnancy, birth and since then... well the tears never stopped.

We then all held hands as each prayed for me, baby and an easy birth filled with love, with each blowing out the candle when she was done speaking. Katelyn sang her prayer of support and love. Then Terri brought out a string with 7 identical friendship bracelets on it which we all put on as she explained that we were to wear these bracelets until after my birth, to remind each to think of my upcoming birth often and the support each was giving me. With my candle (we couldn't find a scissors) we burned the cord and took it out of the bracelets and I blew out my candle. It was awesome and we went to eat lunch as Tracy (my other sis and primary doula) showed me the meals each had brought for after babe was born. Terri then gave me a basket filled with pampering stuff for me, explaining the contents. The basket was to be passed from one blessingway to the next with a tea cup and saucer which each woman (after receiving the basket) would use during labour, and a book in which we would record our birth in for future basket receivers to read and know that many women have gone before them. A legacy!! The rest we would keep. Candles, bath oils, chocolate, whatever was given to the birthing woman by her friends. I can tell you that I am still on a high from that night!! To be so supported, both by my friends who were at my blessingway and all of you... well I just can't wrap my brain around that frankly :-) Thank you all so much and hopefully my next update post will be me in labour!

Connie Banack