You're Never Out Of Toothpaste

Do you know - really know - the limits of your capabilities? That question reminds me of something my chorus director says to us after we've rehearsed a song from front to back. He'll ask us "how many of you feel that was the best performance you've ever given?" Very rarely will any hands go up. Why not? What are we waiting for? If we're not giving the best performance of our lives - up to that point - what is the point?

My best friend became a grandmother today. She's been very supportive of her 21-year-old son and his no-longer girlfriend (but still friend), throughout this unplanned pregnancy. She supported him when they broke up, she supported him when they decided to have the baby, she even supported him when they decided to have the baby together and even when they decided to have the baby together at home - without a midwife.

Some of us might think wanting to bring a child into the world through an unassisted home birth is crazy, irresponsible, immature, dangerous, scary and many other emotions and adjectives. I'm sure she went through all of those herself. But her son and the mother of this child did a lot of research and determined, together, that they wanted to do this and asked for the support of their parents in respecting their wishes - and even assisting in the birth.

Not being a mother myself, I can only imagine the emotions that would run through a mother's (and future grandmother's) head when faced with this challenge. But it all seemed to be worth it when I heard how she - personally - delivered her grandson this morning at 7:31 a.m. I'll be excited to hear more about it, but she said it was a amazing experience.

How did she know how to do this? She's only been on the other end of delivering babies. She said she's glad she's watched House of Babies on Discovery Health and A Baby Story on TLC - that was her training.

This story inspires me to think about all the areas in my life where I think I'm doing all I can do, but know there is lots more out there (or lots more in me). Remember the toothpaste tube when you think you're out of toothpaste - there's always more in there than you think.