My sister is incredible. For many more reasons than this, but for this alone too: she is going through the process of having two dental implants. This would be enough to make her brave and strong. I refuse to go to the dentist for cleanings, never mind surgery and bone grafts and drilling into the jaw and such that goes into a dental implant. But, to boot, the two teeth being implanted are her front teeth. THE TEETH. The most obvious of teeth to have missing from your mouth. And, to top it all off, this process has not been a smooth one. Swelling has meant that for over a month she has been, more often than not, front-tooth-less. No front teeth at work. No front teeth at Easter dinner.
Here I am, unsure if I'm ready to have a baby because I don't know if I'm willing to share my body in that way with another human being. I don't know if I'm ready to selflessly love a little baby, accepting stretch marks and baby weight and loss of sleep as part of the process. I think I may still be too immature and vain. I'm definitely too vain. Then, there's my sister, laughing over her public toothlessness.
Its a nice little kick in the shins.
For me, the way you become less immature and vain is precisely that: to have the baby. The way you become ready is in doing it. But I'm the mama of a two year old and I'm definitely still in process.
ReplyDelete