Radiant Motherhood: A Book for Those Who are Creating the FutureStopes, Marie Carmichael
Science
Radiant Motherhood: A Book for Those Who are Creating the Future
Stopes, Marie Carmichael
Mothers
In my opinion, undoubtedly the ideal way of spending the earlier months
of coming parenthood is in the form of an extended honeymoon, in which
the couple travelling slowly should follow the guide of seasonal
beauty or should visit place after place of historic interest or
natural charm so that the mother’s mind should be fed and stimulated
by historic memories, by the exquisite freshness of nature, and the
grandeur of man’s artistic achievements. This, of course, would not be
possible in its fullest extent to many, until, in the future, society
recognizes the supreme importance to the race of the expectant mother.
Some such course, however, might be possible to a larger number than
it is at present were they to realize not only their personal good but
the racial benefit of this procedure. In our country, owing to our
artificial and unclean attitude, the mother-to-be, particularly during
the later months, stays at home so far as possible, and does not go
from place to place. When going about entails battling with crowds on
public conveyances, this is wise. But the easy effort of walking or of
riding in the old fashioned horse carriage from place to place on an
extended journey, is ideal, and sometimes appears to have beneficial
reactions on the character and quality of the child that is coming.
But, even if such a mode of life is impossible, yet the mother by
reading and conversation can, if she has a mind of trained imagination,
vary and enrich the mental environment of her child while it is
developing.
Then, too, the mother-to-be can count among her delights all the
intimate personal enjoyment of the little physical things which
contribute to the great anticipations of the future. She can, if she
has the skill herself, sew the little clothes, stitching into them
sunny thoughts and beautiful hopes, making them links between the
present delightful _solitude à deux_ and another beautiful time which
the little one who is coming cannot comprehend till, many years hence,
he or she will experience its charm in turn.
Little things intensely loved undoubtedly bring a greater reward in
human happiness than great and numerous possessions, the joy of which
can be but partly grasped. Within a tiny home, a mother whose heart
vibrates with love can find a thousand sources wherewith to enrich the
coming life.
But of all her delights, the greatest must always be the thought of the
wonderful gift, which, at some ever nearing date, she will be able to
give to the man whom she adores. Some men are negligent of the charms
and enravishments of children, but I think in every man who fully loves
and is fully loved by his wife, the thought of the child of them both
must always be a stimulant to everything most ardently beautiful and
profound in their natures.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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