(trigger warning for infant loss)
I try not to share too personal of things on this blog, but instead of getting stuck in a circle of indecision on what to write about, I will write about the first story to come to mind. This is actually from my own family. It involves two individuals in my family. One is my mom and the other happens to be my paternal grandpa.
My parents were married in September 1974. They had gotten together earlier that year and my mom was already pregnant with my sister, Letecha (pronounced Letitia). Letecha was born on July 3 of that year. 13 days before my parents wedding, Letecha died. My mom was devasted of course. My parents began their married life together and tried for another baby. Sadly, my second sister, that they named Jennifer was born stillborn in July of 1975. Another great loss for my mom.
Not long after losing Jennifer my mom decided to not try again and went on birth control. I guess my grandpa had a talk with my mom about it. Said things like he knew she was sad after losing her babies, but that he knew she would make a good mother and that she wanted a child. She told me he took her birth control pills and threw them away.
Obviously my mom could have just pulled them from the trash when he left the house. But she didn’t. She decided to open her heart to the possibility of a baby and she finally got a baby the following Fall. Followed by another two years later. Both of those babies made it to adulthood.
Life was not easy after those babies were born, but she definitely made a big decision. To trust that her love and determination would bring those babies to life and to adulthood.
My mom with my brother in 1976.
On Their Shoulders 