Spring is my favorite time of the year! I keep fresh flowers on my kitchen table (at the moment a display of apple-green hydrangea blossoms), my grandchildren are practicing for their end-of-year recitals and performances, the Little League park down the street rings as aluminum bats make contact with baseballs. Spinach and berries are at their freshest right now and it seems baby animals are everywhere. Here at Walt Disney World, where I work, mama ducks march their ducklings around the parks; I recently watched lambs being born at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on a visit to my home state.

With Mother’s Day celebrated in the States on May 10, we believed it was the perfect time to honor motherhood and how moms show up in the festival arena. We’re observing this season of birth with a series of pieces that celebrate motherhood and the camaraderie and support that it creates in the faire community as well as the larger sisterhood of women. Women from faires all over the country shared reminisces in Bumps, Bubbles, and Breastfeeding: Stories of Pregnancy and Motherhood in the Faire, and others filled our inboxes and feeds with their tips for surviving pregnancy while working or attending Renaissance and medieval faires: How to Enjoy the Festivities When Thou Art… (ahem) With Child!

Some women are mothers who carry children in their bodies; some create their motherhood through adoption. Some share their bodies to carry children for others. We celebrate you all.
Some women are not mothers at all, whether by choice or by circumstance. We see you and honor your journey. Some are women by choice, not by birth. We bless your femininity and thank you for sharing space with us.

The birth of a baby brings great happiness, but then the business of growing up begins. -Queen Elizabeth II

Always happy to support women-owned small businesses in the festival world, we’re introducing herbalist and Reiki Master Shannon Holliday, the heart and hands behind Father Thyme Herbals, where you can find a dedicated of all-natural baby care products in addition to lotions and potions for everyone in the family. Meet her in Shannon Holliday: Crafting a Baby-Friendly Skin Care Line.

From lullabies to contemporary tunes, we’ve created two playlists that you can enjoy as background music at your BFF’s shower, in the delivery suite, or anywhere and anytime you just want to happily vibe with your pregnancy. And for post-partum, when your bundle of joy is needing a bit of sleepy time, we have a lullaby selection that’s a perfect blend of traditional and modern takes on classic tunes. Find them at iTunes and Spotify.

Then there was a star danced, and under that I was born.- Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

On a more melancholy note, we know that not all women who want children are able to have them. It’s not only in ancient history where we find that women’s identities and hearts are tied up in their ability to have children; that dynamic exists now as well. Whitney Rowlett shares her poignant, painful journey in Magicless Maypole: Dancing With Infertility. We believe many women will recognize their own experiences in this vulnerable, honest piece.

Finally, author Becky Courington reminds us of Beltane, the ancient Celtic celebration of light, abundance, and fertility. May Day may have passed, but the spirit of joy and renewal at its heart is something we all need an extra infusion of in these turbulent times. Joy, bravura, and strength are so very necessary right now. Sisterhood, with whomever your heart deems a sister, is surely going to be a saving grace. We can lift each other with ribbons of hope, rainbows of optimism, and blossoms of grace as we turn our faces sunward.

We hope you’ll find something to celebrate in the month of May, and we’ll be back soon to share stories of transition, tradition, and faire outings.