The Power of the Belly

I love seeing a pregnant belly. I honestly have to pry my eyes away before the mother-to-be realizes that some scrawny freckled lady is ogling her in the cereal aisle. I imagine the incredible waterworld that baby is living in, it's little legs tucked up underneath it's wee bum. Isn't it understandable that the population in general is in awe of a pregnant belly? I realize, having had two kids of my own, that being bombarded by unsolicited comments from strangers can be a downer. I've heard from plenty of friends of the countless times they've been pawed by strangers who couldn't resist the roundness of the belly. It seems that being touched by strangers isn't widely enjoyed by pregnant women. Except me. I must be the exception to the rule. That was one of my favourite parts of 'showing', I'm like a Golden Retriever. Admittedly, the first few times it happened on the train or in the grocery store, I'd been a bit jumpy. Then I got to thinking. This world, this day in age that we live in, is hectic. People are generally self-centered and that's not a criticism, people have to be self-centered to some degree. There are families to care for, employers to satisfy and laundry to wash, dry and fold. When I was commuting to work everyday, I often felt this pang of lonliness as I joined the mass exodus leaving the train station. Everyone with their eyes down, the click clack of dress shoes, the same boring ties and jackets. Despite walking shoulder to shoulder with another person, people rarely acknowledge eachother. Lost in their to-do lists, their calenders, their newspapers, people are isolated even when in a crowd.

How incredible is the draw of a pregnant belly? It has this magical ability to bring strangers together. It's the belly that inspires the older women at the grocery store, the bank, the gas station...etc. to think "I have something to share. Something of use for this young woman and her growing baby." Of course, this is the same thought that leads to the unwanted advice that pregnant women are forced to smile and nod at. Still, to cause a person to believe that they have something of worth to say to a stranger is a pretty cool thing. The instant that paunchy belly turns into an undeniable baby bump, the world's mothers are ready to excitedly ask "Is this your first?", "Do you know what you're having?", "Have you thought of names?". Sure, answering the same question 567 times in a matter of months, may be annoying. Still, I can't help but believe that people only ask because they'd like to be privy, for just a few minutes, to the magic of building a brand new human being. There's a community to parenthood that I never understood until I was sporting a t-shirt with a slimy shoulder, or, mistakenly, pulling a rubber ducky out of my purse instead of my cell phone. People excitedly ask a pregnant woman about the soon-to-arrive baby,simply because they'd like to connect.

This is yours truly at 36 weeks with Simon. Look at me, I can't even keep my own hands off the buddha belly.

Now, back to the belly rubbing. Of course, having your body touched by a random person isn't for everyone. I understand why most pregnant women don't appreciate the gesture. For me, it's the most moving evidence of the belly's ability to connect people. To cause one stranger to reach out and touch another, there's beauty in that. I will never touch a belly without being invited, you have my word! But if I'm ever blessed with a big, round bump again at some point in my life, please come on over and give this gal a belly rub. I promise I won't pant and roll over, that'd be weird.

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