Greater than a Galaxy

It is no secret that I have struggled with the changes my body has gone through during my pregnancy.

There are a lot of them, and they are changes that the world all too often points to as unsavory or unattractive. In moments of weakness, I have strived to turn to my Heavenly Father for help to view my body in a different light, and I turn to those more positive thoughts when I need them most. Today, I want to share them with you.

If you are carrying a child within you, you are nothing short of a miracle.

You are your child's whole world, their entire universe.

You provide everything for them, giving freely of your own body, energy, mind, and soul.

Any mark, lump, and change in your body that comes from this extraordinary birth of a star is beautiful.

The beautiful universe is constantly expanding, growing, becoming more and more infinite.

So are you.

Except you get to keep their beautiful path across your skin, whereas shooting stars are just a split second blip in the sky.

With the glow of new life comes heat - there's a reason that your beautiful growing star sends fire through your chest.

Everything your child knows is you. You are their entire life, blood, and world.

In just a few short days, I won't be pregnant anymore. That is something that is somewhat hard to wrap my mind around, and it's something almost bittersweet. I will be delighted to finally have my sweet baby girl in my own arms, and I am excited to take my body back, but I will miss this belly. I will miss feeling my child move inside of me, knowing it is this body that is giving her life. I will miss being her universe when I become merely one part of her bright new world.

While this journey is extremely difficult, it is one I am immensely grateful for. While not every aspect of pregnancy is enchanting or even desirable, it is still the most beautiful thing my body will ever do, because it is what is going to give me my sweet child. Please love your pregnant body. Love all of it - even the squishy or marked or not-ideal parts. Love it, because without it, you could never have that growing star inside of it. Love it because, for your little child, it is everything.