C.S. Lewis said, "We read to know we are not alone." I have carried this quote precious to my heart for years now, as once upon a time I was an avid reader of books. I carried it with me as I read about grief and loss after the death of my Tom, the 8 year old boy I nannied and was the primary care giver for his last 10 months of life. I laughed through "The Nanny Diaries" as I cared for Jarrett through his infancy and preschool years. I carried it with me as I navigated the rocky waters of infertility and read books like "Hannah's Hope" and "When the Cradle Is Empty". This quote helped me to seek books like "Adopting After Infertility" and other books that assured my heart that on this path I would one day be a mother.
And now this quote gently guides me to the camaraderie that is found among the dozens of women I have come to know through the blog world. As I rejoice and grieve with women I will never meet, I am reminded of my own pain and joys. As I keep up with my dear friends who live miles away, it doesn't feel like they are so far. When I read the accounts of one couples "match meeting", it takes me back to the day we anxiously awaited to meet our daughter's birth mother. When I read the pain and cry for all the mothers out there who have lost their babies-whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, childhood death, or adoption loss-my broken heart heals a little over my own losses.
Today I am thankful for all the women who put their hearts and lives out on the world wide web for the rest of us to be encouraged and inspired and entertained. I read your blogs, ladies, and through your words I know and feel a little less alone. Thank you, friends.
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1 friends commented!:
Beautiful post. I do grieve the loss of my children's birthparents even in the midst of my own joy of being their mother. I grieve their birthparent's loss of their child, even though it was voluntary relinquishment both times.
I love blogs because I realize that women (and men) are helping all of us understand each other better, even if we don't agree (i.e. politic of late).
Teresa
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