Hope

 
Every month on the 19th {I'm late, as usual!}, Francesca from Small Bird Studios hosts the Small Miracles Blog Hop. Click the image above to hop on over to Francesca's blog and read her post. The entries from other ladies are listed below my post here, and also on Francesca's blog. You can submit your story either here or there.

"Francesca asks, what big or small miracles have brought you hope lately?"

There have been so many things that have brought me hope throughout this journey. I sat here for a few minutes trying to figure out which one has brought me the most hope. I can't do that. What I want to do, is take this opportunity to thank all of the ladies that I've "met" over the past 15 months. The women I have come into contact with since we lost Olivia have transformed me into a new person. The online baby loss community is so fantastic, and I don't know where I'd be if I'd never stumbled across it. This always makes me think about my mom, who lost my older sister almost 25 years ago. In 1986, there was no internet, and no real support for this kind of thing. She had a few books, but that's about it. Even her co-workers were fairly unsupportive. People didn't talk about this kind of thing, even though I'm sure it was just as common then as it in now. There was such a lack of understanding for what she was going through, and my heart hurts for her when I think about it. I know that I am extremely fortunate.

I have been inspired to have more compassion for people.

to be grateful for the life that I've been given.

I have developed a more passionate love for the Lord,

and how to use the love that I receive from Him to affect the lives of others.

I have been inspired to learn photography,

to eat well, to exercise,

and to laugh through the grief.

I have learned how to live with joy again. Something that 15 months ago, I didn't know was possible.

Maybe I would have done some of these things on my own. But the encouragement and inspiration that I have received from the blog community has been so amazing. Even overwhelming at times. It is so wonderful to log into blogger and read posts from women who lost their babies too and are struggling with similar feelings. It is empowering to watch everyone progress through the stages of grief and slowly become an even BETTER version of their former selves.

If you follow my blog and are a baby loss mama, then I follow yours too, and its you that I am talking about.

Thank you for all of the hope you've provided me with over the past 15 months. It means more to me than I can put into words.

And as for miracles... Two of my best blog friends gave birth to their Rainbow Babies within the last couple of months. Meredith had Lauren in December, and Maggie had Lucas yesterday. If those aren't reasons for hope, then I don't know what is :).