blessing way
n.— «A Blessing Way is a ritual for the expectant mother. It is based on a Hopi tradition. A Blessing Way is a gathering of women who get together, tell birth stories, give the expectant mother emotional support and pamper her a bit (brush her hair, wash her feet, massage her).» —“Re: Sweet Homebirth Story – 1 Year Later” by Heather Madrone Usenet: misc.kids Nov. 11, 1993. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Lucy in Louisa, Virginia, recalls that if her mother was exasperated when the kids were misbehaving, she’d announce I’m going to put you both in a wet paper bag and see who falls out first! This is part of a complete episode.
Related
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...