The Baby Shower

I am completely undone with humility. Yesterday, I arrived at my women's investment club meeting at a local restaurant, the Grand St. Cafe. We were meeting at this fancy restaurant instead of our usual meeting place to celebrate a couple of recent stock purchases (that have done really well by the way), or so I thought. I arrived to find that the ladies in my group had set up a surprise baby shower! Wow. When I walked in someone shouted, "there she is," and they all started applauding. I thought, "what are they so excited about?" Then I saw the pile of gifts in the middle of the table. It still took me a few seconds more to realize they were for me. A baby shower for me. In addition to some really lovely baby things, and a very generous gift certificate (which will really come in handy because we have nothing, I mean nothing for this baby) I received such warmth, love, and well-wishes. I felt both honored and humbled. This is a group of ladies that I don't know well, we've met a little over a year now. They are all established, strong, smart business women, mostly older than myself, whom I'm in awe of. Joining this investment club was my attempt to learn more about investing and money management in general. It was a step way out of my comfort zone, but I have enjoyed the learning process. They have embraced and encouraged me in my meager attempts to learn and contribute. Between this group and my Great Discussions group (where we discuss international politics and foreign policy) my brain gets its best excercise. In the investment group we have to discuss current and future trends in order to discover the best investment possibilities. It makes for lively conversation.
Its hard to express how this shower makes me feel, I kept tearing up all the way home with my gifts piled beside me in the seat. It was so good and generous of them to acknowledge this momentous event in my life. The biggest gift was them making an opportunity to say, congratulations, we honor you, and enter into your joy. Surely this is one of the hidden perks of pregnancy. That people, even strangers, see your big belly and smile. A small acknowledgement that this woman is a chosen vessel to bring forth this child into the world. Another way that I'm in cahoots with the Creator. I am humbled to be chosen for the task.