“When we look back in time—what do we remember best? The sweet repeated patterns of our ordinary lives or the days that sparkled with a sheen of something different… news, a treat, an invitation. The answer may not matter; sometimes the simple gift of memory is all.”

Episode 7 had a scene that made me want to blog, it was when Matthew Aylward and Trixie attended the Housing sub-committee meeting and he was angry with the bureaucracy and lack of urgency with concrete actions. Later they approached Violet, almost sheepishly, to say they did not mean to attack or put her on the spot; however, it was fabulous that her reaction with to encourage Matthew to run for council in the upcoming cycle. Elections were coming up and she stated they needed "fresh blood."

The scenes struck me and I really appreciated how Matthew has opened himself up to absorbing his surrounding world and the challenges that others less fortunate than him are confronted with. As a Modern Day Midwife and as a community member I could relate on several levels: we have clients that may live in poverty, face housing issues, lack access to clean water, and a myriad of other issues. On a daily basis individuals and communities are faced with multiple challenges and we as healthcare providers need to think … will we just go to work and quietly take care of our clients? Or will we go beyond that clinical interaction and engage, advocate, or even run for positions that can entail a seat at important tables to help evoke change.

There are questions we need to ask ourselves each and every day: how will I interact in this world? I do not want to sleepwalk through things? Are we awake and mindful? How do we approach each day? Are our eyes wide open or carefully avoiding things as we gaze downward away from some serious realities.

It got me thinking about myself and how I can fine tune and stretch my own engagement along with how to also impact and encourage my own community. First it got me thinking about embracing love—and even how that begins with love towards me. I like to start my day off with a mindfulness meditation and practicing gratitude. Another thing was reflecting on how I/we give to our communities. Do we volunteer? It can even be as simple as helping a colleague with a project, or an elderly neighbor with picking up groceries. For myself I have run for office in my professional organization and took on a leadership role within the American College of Nurse Midwives. There are ways to engage on a local, regional or national level within professional organizations but also political parties as we face current reproductive justice issues! 

It is important to know your community—you can do this by attending meetings and finding out the issues that are of concern or bringing issues and potential solutions to the meetings. We can become a mentor to someone that can benefit from our skills, knowledge and experiences. This mentoring can be on a community level with being a Big Brother/Big Sister or within other areas of our lives or work. Another way to be a positive in our community is to vote. I was shocked within our professional organization how few members took the time or effort to vote; however, many find the time to complain. Whether it is a professional organization or voting within your local, county, State, or Federal elections — find out about the issues, advocate for changes that you want to see. As a Modern Day Midwife this aspect has never been more important.

This episode got me inspired to reflect and think how I will engage and take action in my community to try to create positive impacts. Some of the things I have on my list are small but I know they will have a ripple effect as each day builds on itself.

“What matters most - memory itself or the love that feeds and frames it? Love lost long goes so perhaps love wins. Love inspires, love nurtures, love can be rekindled, and love knows many ways of being. It can be captured in a kiss or a fleeting look. It can be made immortal in a photograph. Love lives within the present and the past. Love has a future- we must not forget that.”