Cry, and the Milk will Come

Our house listed today. After four months of floor refinishing, painting, wiring, plumbing, old oil tank-removing, garage-building late nights, these old walls are loved up and ready for someone else. When Wyatt got home and saw the sign, he said, "That makes me sad." Then he went up into his favorite crook of the cherry tree and just sat there for awhile. I wish some adults I know could process their emotions as well.

These last weeks have brought to mind some favorite lines from Rumi:

Crying out loud and weeping are great resources.
A nursing mother, all she does
is wait to hear her child.

Just a little beginning-whimper,
and she's there.

God created the child, that is, your wanting,
so that it might cry out, so that milk might come. 

On the off-chance that some men are reading this blog--men that aren't fathers, especially--Rumi, amazingly, (was he a man or a woman?!) refers to what's known as "let-down." When a nursing mother hears her baby cry, her breast milk is released. The child's wanting unleashes the abundance in her.

So many times recently, I've said to Yancey, "What would we have done if Rich and Mary didn't let us live with them?" or "How would we have met our deadline if Kenny didn't come over and mow the lawn?" or "How would we have paid for this if I didn't have so much work lately?" And Yancey will say, "But you did" or "But they are." Cry, and the milk will come. I am so grateful for the abundance that's been released over and over again in our lives. 

The changes are just beginning for us, and I have a feeling Wyatt will need a lot more time in that cherry tree. His little trek reminds me that, in times of uncertainty and change, our inner life is really all we have--all we can count on. Houses, friends, careers, success--they come and go. What hasn't changed for me is the asking and the receiving. The milk is there--it just takes a lot of wailing to get it sometimes.

Comments

[stacey snacks]

Not sure why I am not getting your feed anymore via my blog, I am glad I clicked here, because it said you hadn't written a post since 5 weeks ago! and there you are.
Your house looks beautiful! Hopefully you are moving on up with lots of cherry trees to climb! Glad to see you are back!

[Em]

What if the milk does come? Still sadness. Still change. And as always giving thanks. Amen.

(I noticed that for me I had to recopy IPOL's blog's address to my blog roll even though it looks the same to get it to link to the new site.)

[Kelli Bakker]

Thanks for this well written and timed post. You leave me resting in the word 'beauty' for this is what life is, beautiful.

[Kathy]

((Hug)) Lots of prayers for your family during this time of change. Your house looks beautiful, and I love the quote. Our family is preparing for baby #3 to arrive in July.

[Kamille@Redeeming_table]

sarah--you're so poetic & metaphoric.

[bethany]

weird. i posted a comment and now i don't see it. what i said was, thank goodness for our inner lives. they carry us through those times when we think we can't make it. i also love the analogy of the let-down. so beautiful and sensual and grounded. i can't wait to see you in my town. :)

[Zip]

Looking forward to your return to Bellingham. Hope you find a nice place here with a good tree for Wyatt.

[Sarah MK]

Hello friends! Stacy and Emily, in my tech naivete, I failed to make a final post on my old blog directing people to change their RSS feeds. That's why nothing is showing up. Sorry! I think I may have lost a lot of readers, so my tasks is to woo them back :)

Zip, Kelli, Bethany, thanks for making me feel at home in Bellingham already.

Kathy, congratulations on number three!!!

[molly]

Funny thing is, it always feels like the abundance springs from right here.

Bless you, Sarah, and your family, as you move through this next amazing, wild, rich, intense, bountiful chapter.

[mfm]

Welcome home!

[Tiffany]

Thanks so much for this little post, Sarah. My family is in the midst of listing our beloved little house and finishing our 50 slightly unfinished projects. Thanks for this reminder that we are sustained.