My beautiful miracle,

Perhaps this photo isn’t exactly something you’d find in a pregnancy blog, but I feel absolutely compelled to share something on my mind… that’s a bit hard to talk about. We live on a beautiful, lush earth filled with emotional species of all kinds. There are many of us that inhabit this planet, humans and animals and everything in between all trying to live our lives with elements of happiness, success, and the simple luxuries that are often found in friendships. There are times within our lives where we may be forced by unforeseen circumstances to experience substandard living situations that require simply “surviving.” The photo I’m sharing with you is of a child in Darfur, whose family is one of millions who have been left homeless, jobless, and most often times… starving.

It’s an extremely unfortunate situation that speaks to me almost on a daily level. I have longed for a “perfect world” for as long as I have been in existence, and I always secretly hoped that if I were pregnant, I could bring a child into a world that had no suffering, pain, or tragedy. One thing I’ve learned through my sufferings, which may be considered mild compared to what those families in Darfur are experiencing, is that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. As a person experiences the pain of suffering, the more love and empathy they feel towards others.

I’ve heard it said that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you respond to it.

When times get hard, please know that pain eventually ends. One of the positive ways to look at tragedy is that eventually, circumstances change. It is my hope that you learn how to live in a way that always leaves room for philanthropy. No matter how much or how little money you make, give some away to someone who needs it. One day, you may need it yourself.

Love
Mommy