Sheri Yutzy - Speculative Fiction Author

  • About
  • Stories
  • Contact
  • Magic Forest Proofreading
You are here: Home / All Posts / Mothering with my hands

Mothering with my hands

March 1, 2018 by Sheri

As I considered what to write this month, one thought came to rest in my mind.

I didn’t realize mothering is so physical.

That’s a strange thing to say, I know, considering I went through nine months of pregnancy and hours of painful labor to bring my little Anika into the world. But now I think I know why God gave her to me now.

For years I’ve been a writer. I worked with words every day, even if only inside my head. Now suddenly I have this bundle of humanity to carry and feed and bathe, and almost everything I do for her involves my hands and my body. She can’t read my stories or blog posts. She doesn’t care about my creativity or desire to reach readers with words. She wants to feel my arms around her, my warmth against her.

I love it. It feels like rebirth, birthing a child and caring for her through fussy nights and messy diapers. It reminds me of Jesus’ attention to the physical, how He healed with touch and mud and kind glances. It reminds me of how God cares for me like a newborn, except He nows exactly what each cry from my heart means. It fills me with awe that He designed families and parenting to show us more of Himself.

I’ll always be a writer, unless God tells me to stop. But for the rest of my life, and these next years especially, I’ll be a mother who loves with hands and arms and a soothing voice. And when I’m tempted to disappear completely into a world of words and storymaking, may my child remind me that I must also love those I can touch.

Have you ever begun a new phase of life that shows you truth in new ways?

Filed Under: All Posts

Comments

  1. Jebraun says

    March 6, 2018 at 6:20 pm

    Motherhood was an enourmous change for me! But these last few years as my offspring became older and more independent (24, 20, and 18) have been transformational as well. Almost like I’m rediscovering things about myself that were dormant for so long because of the necessity of being ‘hands on’ with my little ones. Writing disappeared for almost two decades but now is back with a passion! I’m thankful for the time and space to be creative.

    • Sheri says

      March 11, 2018 at 9:24 pm

      Thanks for your responding, Jeb! I actually thought of you while writing this. Your passion for writing encourages me that I’ll still want to when my children are more independent. 🙂 I can already see that this new experience brings inspiration for my writing, too.

  2. Lori says

    March 15, 2018 at 11:35 am

    Mothering is one of the greatest ways to exercise selflessness in life!! Bless you as you love on your lil one!

  3. Sheri Yutzy says

    March 16, 2018 at 8:59 pm

    I’m starting to see that too. 🙂 Thank you, Lori!

  4. KaLynn says

    March 18, 2018 at 1:39 am

    Be a mother is also very rewarding! So excited you are now a mother! Thank you for this beautiful post!

    • Sheri says

      March 27, 2018 at 4:52 pm

      Yes, it is! It’s a gift from God. 🙂 I love it. I’m glad you liked the post!

Want free stories, discounts, and other forest magic?Join my newsletter!

I like sending free stories to my friends.
Join the list and get a free ebook copy of Stories of the Stars, my speculative short story collection!

About Sheri

Here Goes Something New!

Hi, I'm Sheri Yutzy. I love forests under the night sky, trying new foods, and drinking Irish tea.
I'm married to a musician who looks good in black, mama to two toddlers who love to eat, and happy resident of a Cape Cod cottage in Ohio.
I write YA fantasy and am acquisitions editor at sparkflashfiction.com.
Join my email list for free fiction!

Follow Along

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Find some magic with me!

sheriyutzyauthor

It’s a quiet sort of day. The clouds were mistin It’s a quiet sort of day.
The clouds were misting this morning while the sun was shining. I love weather like that.♥️ I love weather in general.😊If I bring it up when I’m talking to you, I’m not really making small talk—I want to know how you feel about a dark bank of clouds, or wind in your hair, that lovely sunny heat when you step outside after being in the air conditioning for too long.
I also love weather in books, when it’s almost it’s own character. @isabelwriter09 does so well with making you feel the jungle in this duology.
What’s your favorite nuance of weather?

#yafantasy #woveninmoonlight #writteninstarlight #slowliving #booksandcandles #isabelibañez #yafantasyduology #yafantasyauthor
A night of supreme excitement.😅 thanks for lett A night of supreme excitement.😅 thanks for letting Jasper “find” all those balloons from your yard, @ro.robinson.writes! 
#hotairballoonfestival #ohiohotairballoonfestival
This is me after filming this reel five times whil This is me after filming this reel five times while trying to be normal. I finally decided to do whatever I wanted and this came out.😅

I do really love these books—they’re all culturally diverse fantasy, and they’re each lovely in their own way.

The Jade Bones - @laniforbes
☀️Sun gods, Aztec temples, the underworld☀️ 

Splinters of Scarlet - @emilybainmurphy 
❄️Danish pastries, ice skating, Hygge in a novel❄️

Woven in Moonlight - @isabelwriter09 
🌿Bolivian politics, magical weaving, gorgeous jungle🌿

Bone Crier’s Moon - @kathrynpurdie 
🍃French mythology, siren songs, dazzling romance🍃

And…not pictured is my own novel in progress:
The Secret Seller
🎭Medici legends, magical market, Italian festivals 🎭

Have you read any of these? Let me know what you think!

#amreading #yafantasy #thejadebones #laniforbes #splintersofscarlet #emilybainmurphy #writteninmoonlight #isabelibañez #bonecriersmoon #kathrynpurdie 
#thesecretseller #sheriyutzy
📚📚📚 The light through the clouds was mood 📚📚📚
The light through the clouds was moody yesterday, and I could hardly stop taking pictures. Photo shoots with poetry books are lovely because they leave me wanting to read more poetry.😏This volume of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese has been my companion since my husband bought it for me while we were dating. Back then I always bought a book or two when I went to my favorite used bookstores. Okay, I still do, I just don’t get to the bookstores as often so it feels like I don’t buy as many used books.😢 I’ve also gotten more strict with how many unread classics I can have at one time—still a lot, but I don’t have any under my bed anymore.😅
I’m delighted that my daughter asks me to read her poetry while we drink tea. It keeps me from forgetting about it in the busyness of summer.
Do you ever leave a bookstore empty handed? (If so, teach me your secret power😅)
📚📚📚

#poetry #elizabethbarrettbrowning #sonnetsfromtheportuguese #classicpoetry #moodyphotoshoot #slowliving #cottagecore #darkacademia
Load More... Follow on Instagram

My Book Progress

Spiraldown
Phase:Writing
31.8%
MyBookProgress by Author Media

Goodreads

Let’s keep in touch!

You'll be the first to know about new discounts, free stories just for subscribers, and beta reader openings. Feel free to sign up!

© 2022 Sheri Yutzy | Site by EY-PHOTO-WEB

 

Loading Comments...