Immaculate Heart Design Story - Little Way Design Co.

Immaculate Heart Design Story

This design is a true labor of love, literally... and it’s so far the closest design to my heart and life as a woman and mother. Here’s the story:

I’m terrified of labor (as in birthing labor, not work!) and when you put a pandemic on top of that, my anxiety with this last pregnancy was through the roof.

I wanted to finish this Immaculate Heart design before our little Anastasia came, but it didn’t happen and I’m glad it didn’t.

I’ve always been turned off by the Immaculate Heart, because all the sacred images that depict it have turned me off. They just seemed old-fashioned and unrealistic to me. There's nothing wrong with those beautiful sacred images, it's just me and my inability to connect with them. I’m a very visual person and get hung up on things, so I could never “connect” with our Mother’s heart. I tried praying during the pandemic through St. John Eude’s words, but I wasn’t feeling it...

So, my labor started a few days before I anticipated and there I was terrified. I had asked a few hours before for your prayer intentions, because one does not often get an intense period of time of prayer that requires an incredible amount of focus. So when I tell you that for every contraction, I prayed a Hail Mary and offered each of your intentions, I mean it. And it has changed my life.

As labor progressed and the pain intensified, I kept trying to fight it. I was hoping it would go away. I didn’t want to do this anymore. As I prayed some more, it became *very clear* to me that I was being told that this is the life of a mother. That a mother must accept the pain in order to bring forth life. “Acceptance” kept coming up in each Hail Mary. With each contraction, I slowly let go of each one of my fears that imprisoned me during this pandemic pregnancy. When I was fully dilated and going through transition, I no longer had fear (as it’s common for that stage) and I embraced the pain. I kept saying “I can do this” and as I pushed our sweet baby out into the world, I screamed again “I can do this!” and I had no fear.

Not because I’m special. Not because I’m a superhero. I’ve had terror during all my births, especially during our emergency csection. This experience was just what I providentially needed after a dark time of desolation in order to be restored.

So, this design is the result of that experience. Acceptance of what is required of us, especially as Mothers, because as Mother Teresa said, “True love causes pain.”