The Frozen River

by Ariel Lawhon

A woman is never more vulnerable than while in labor. Nor is she ever stronger.

The act of mothering is not limited to the bearing of children.

History is written by the men who live. Not the ones who die.

I have done nothing remarkable. Not by the standards of history, at least. But I am here. And these words are the mark I will leave behind. So yes, it matters that I continue this ritual.

This is a new, bittersweet milestone of motherhood. They have gotten bigger, as have their problems. But they have also grown wiser, and that is a miracle because wisdom is not a thing you can acquire for your children.