Oh how my heart sank when the news hit my inbox that the doors of Luma would soon close. Of course, as this pandemic has continued to rage on I anticipated this as quite possibly inevitable. Luma has been a home to my birth classes for some years now, as well as a meeting place for my doula team, the Santa Cruz Birth Companions, client meet ups. After receiving the sad news of Luma’s upcoming closure, images/memories came to heart and mind of the beauty I witnessed unfolding within the Luma walls: Expectant mothers/fathers sharing their hopes and fears for their upcoming births… Exploring together, as a class, what birth might be like – how it might look, feel, sound…how one might work with and “be with” all that rawness and intensity, how one might open their hearts to the “bigness” of birth and early parenthood…and, how one might embrace the unexpected and unwished for in their birth/early postpartum journey… Coyote howling gathered around candle light… Couples looking each other in the eyes, expressing hopes, fears, vulnerabilities about birthing and parenting… The sweet conversations and connections that unfolded during snack break by the front counter…. And, our post birth class where newly born parents came with their rosy cheeked babes in arms, reflecting on all that was necessary to bring these little ones in arms… A deep bow of reverence to all of those who brought Luma to life in little and big ways – from the owners Valerie, Lynda, and Kate, to those smiling faces at the front desk, to those in the background doing the books, scheduling, and more, to those who offered wellness sessions, workshops and classes, and to those mothers, fathers, and babes who brought so much joy and life to the center. My classes will carry on, but Luma will be missed. May all the beauty born there radiate in infinite ways into our families, our communities and our world.
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