OK, so that title is a bit dramatic, but the longer I’ve been pregnant, the more truth I find in that statement.

The world around us has so many physical representations of transitions. Fall and spring, two out of the four seasons, are great examples where we get to actually watch nature transform.

Being engaged and being pregnant are two very similar life transitions.

Think about it, both represent movement from one state of being to another. For engagement, it’s from single to married, and in-between you are anticipating living out the promises you intend to make but have not yet made. For pregnancy, you are anticipating the new life you’ve created together and while you are technically parents, you’re still waiting to experience the wonder of meeting your child for the first time.

Both of these seasons are marked by high degrees of celebration. Both include showers where people help prepare you and your spouse by supplying you with gifts for things you’ll need in your upcoming season. While the gifts may look quite different, dishes verses diapers, the result is the same: the community you have coming around you to help walk you into the next season as fully prepared as you can be.

Transition is not always my favorite. In fact, it rarely is, but I have not been able to shake the familiarity of being pregnant as compared to being engaged. There is a distinct likeness and parallel between the two. 

Both require preparation.

Both require work.

Both leave space for dreaming, wonder, and anticipation. 

And ultimately, both lead to the birth of an entirely new life together. 

Here’s to being nearly done with this season of transition. As I enjoy these last few weeks of kicks and joyfully anticipate not needing to use the bathroom as frequently, I’m embracing the transition. 

I hope you do too, whatever transition that may be for you right now.