the nauseating side of a miracle

Ah yes, miracles. Those crazy things that happen along every once in a while, usually when least expected. But the miracle I'm really thinking of, to be more specific, is the miracle of birth. What a blessid thing, this ability to bear children, or in the case of other mammalian creatures, namely horses, the ability to bear foals. Right. How beautiful, a breath-taking experience, if you're lucky enough to witness it.. how amazing, how.. totally f*@#ing gross!!!

I'm not saying that it isn't a beautiful thing, the birth, that is, and I wouldn't give up witnessing something like that for the world.. but, I could do without the afterbirth that gushes forth so readily afterwards. Ugh. Nauseating. :) A small price to pay, though, I would have to say, and I'm sure most would agree. However, not for those with weak stomachs, that's for sure.

Seeing the tiny creature laying there, completely exhausted, blinking rapidly, taking in this new world, its delicate little eyes aching at the sheer enormity of it all.. it's really, truly, one of the most awe-inspiring things I've ever witnessed in my life.

Birth is a good reminder that human beings are still animals. Our "civilization" has stripped us of many of our animal-like traits - we don't hang from trees or burrow into the ground on a regular basis (and when we do we use tools). When we must reveal the animal sides of ourselves - whether it be through going to the bathroom or having sex - we usually do it in private. One could argue that these parts of daily life, and perhaps eating as well, are as "gross" and animal-like as birth. They just don't seem very disgusting because we are exposed to those routines often. Birth, on the other hand, seems terribly nauseating because we're not used to seeing afterbirth. It's especially disturbing because the vagina is mentally linked to sexual desire.

Humans are creatures of shit, piss, saliva, bile, sweat, blood, mucus, semen, pus, and in this case, afterbirth. Flesh is gross, and we try to hide our animal nature with our clothes, our customs, our big, shiny, clean industrialized world. In the end though, we're still animals, and realization of this can be both harrowing and beautiful.

Birth is beautiful. We're just not used to it.