So it was that we found ourselves in a stable so I could give birth to our first child. Neither of us new what really to expect. My mother, Anne had told me what to expect. The pain, she said would be forgotten as soon as I held my child for the first time.
Yosef bustled about making a cooking fire to boil water. The water was for a tea to help with the labor. He helped to make me as comfortable as he could. He was nervous and so was I.
I had helped the midwife of our village deliver babes, so I knew I could be in labor for a long while.
I could not stay long waiting for the babe to come so I walked around the stable. I petted the animals there. There were quite a few goats and the smell was horrible. I glanced outside many times to breathe the fresh air as I walked, when i could walk no more I finally resigned myself to lay down.
Yoseph had taken over a manger and laid inside it a clean blanket. He laid the swaddling clothes nearby, The evening was not too cold so we sat together holding hands or him rubbing my back to soothe me.
Truly I do not remember the pain as much as I thought I would. I remember giving the last push, Jeshua letting out a yelp and then I was holding him. I adored him as soon as I saw him. I could hardly take my eyes off of him.
So it was my first child was born!
Mary, Mother of Yeshua bin Yosef
