Welcoming the Soul of a Child Book

This enlightening guidebook uses as its springboard a moving tale about a ritual practiced by an East African tribe. When a couple wishes to conceive, the woman goes off alone in the bush and waits, listening for the song of the child; in the eyes of these people, conception occurs at the moment the song is heard. The woman then returns to her mate and sings the song to him as they make love, calling forth the spirit of the child. This song is taught to the rest of the villagers, who sing it at the child's birth, during illnesses, and at rites of passage throughout the child's life. Jill Hopkins, a Seattle-based psychotherapist, suggests that expectant and new parents can adapt this lovely idea to the births of their own children. To be able to hear and honor a child's "song," or singular place in our lives, parents must create the right environment for it to flourish. With gentle, clear prose, Hopkins suggests exercises to rid our lives of distractions and baggage, to clear away a special place for the new child--not unlike the clearing of a field before it can be planted. Many suggestions are common sense--protecting a couple's private time, keeping journals to note changes in feelings, forgiving pains from childhood. Many are more spiritual, including tips for caring for the soul while navigating the modern ob-gyn health-care system. Taken together, they provide meditative nourishment for parents-to-be. --Anne HurleyRead More