How Were You Carried?

Not In Your Mother's Arms; but, In Her Womb

“The traits that make us who we are, comes from the interplay between the genes we inherit and the environment we're exposed to. Those environmental effects begin even before we are born.” (The Week, 9/2019) That was stated beautifully in a scientific article.

I came to learn that at the dentist office; the place where my mother’s state of being shown up in me. There are studies that track offspring from womb to adulthood; that states, a woman's mental health is an integral part of her fetus' environment. A mother's poor emotional well-being can increase her child's risk of psychological disorders such as depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, or other conditions.

How I learned of this: Laughing gas was administered to me in order to ease surgical pins from my upper gums; results of an oral surgery. Coming from under the gas, I was crying, crying like someone had beaten me – that ugly cry---- To my amazement, I asked the doctor "Hey, what’s wrong with me?!" He explained -the after effect of the gas is a Revealer of what’s in the patient. Driving home the thought came to me – Ask mother how she carried me? Something we had never discussed before. Imagine my shock – when her response was, “Lonely."

Teaching me, I didn’t become a loner – but, in fact, I was a loner. The beauty in this growing knowledge at the time – answered why I flourished in the state vs. Having to fight off depression.  (I was always comfortable with being a homebody.) The basis of sharing this truth: when you don’t know, who you are --it brings confusion – I also share these tic bits, to get my audience to research how it is--- their situation came to be.

Like a pregnant woman, scientists have found that elephants are capable of complex thought and deep feeling. Carrying their babies much like we women do. In fact, the emotional attachment elephants form toward family may rival our own. Want a glimpse into who you are? Ask mom, how did she carry you?

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb."

Jeremiah 1:5