That is the miracle of the second birth. You are not just bringing a child into the world. You are bringing a sibling. You are exploding one universe to create a larger one.
But just before the birth again, there is this. A quiet room in Japan. A full belly. A heart that is breaking and healing in the same beat. Just before the birth again- Japan- Pregnant- U...
Tomorrow, I will walk to the 7-Eleven ( konbini ) for the last time as a mother of one. I will buy the tonkotsu ramen in a cup that I am not supposed to crave. I will buy a kakigori (shaved ice) because the heat is biblical. I will stand in the fluorescent light, my belly brushing against the magazine rack, and I will feel utterly anonymous and utterly seen at the same time. That is the miracle of the second birth
But just below the guilt, there is a strange, expansive peace. You are exploding one universe to create a larger one
Just Before the Birth Again: A Pause in Japan, Heavy with Waiting