Skip to main content

License to feel

Remember that Limbo feeling? The one that can be traced all the way back to elementary school? The feeling where you're afraid that if something makes you sad, you might be told you're a baby. Or in high school, if you made too big a deal about your grades, boys, or your parents, your friends think you're a drama queen? Remember when you thought that whatever you were feeling, that it just wasn't what "society" expected of you?
I remember having these feelings: as a kid, teenager, college student, and now - as an adult. 

When infertility became a word used in my house I didn't know how to comprehend what my emotions should be. 

      Was it ok to cry? Well yes, but Mara you have a kid, why do you get to cry?

       Was it ok to be mad? Probably, but seriously, it could be so much worse, think of all the things you do have. 

       Was it ok to beg and plead with God? I'm sure he listened, but Mara you are sounding selfish,what can you be thankful for instead?

I started to wonder if it was ok to have these feelings, was I part of "society's norm"? But then I started writing. What possessed me to write so that "society" could see it, not really sure. But I do know that writing on this blog has given me a new license. 

A license to feel. To understand. To weep with both sorrow and joy. 

Tonight I want to thank you all for listening and reading about my story, one that I'm learning is not so different from many other's stories. I've been blessed by numerous friends and family that have written to tell me their story, and there is always one common theme among them... 

It is ok, it is the norm, it is never wrong to have emotions and to feel whatever We might be feeling during that day, hour, or minute. We all have a license to feel, no matter how wreck-less the driving of our emotions may become. 

I'm quite sure I've known this all along, but reminders from friends and family are always a God send. :)
Today for instance, a special thanks, to a very close friend that gave me "permission" and a license to feel whatever thoughts i may have had the other day when I learned she was pregnant. You have no idea what that meant to me. You were a blessing and a comfort. Along with my prayers of "when is it my turn?", you better believe I also threw in a whole lot of " thank you thank you thank you for the newest miracle to arrive soon!" 

So what burden is on your shoulders tonight? Whatever it may be - remember - You have a license to feel. 

We feel - God heals. 

Love, Mara


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Second day in Manila

Family picture from yesterday at the park. Caleb has a flying butterfly. Our second day in Manila was fantastic! We got out of the city and saw a ton of the countryside, multiple areas outside of the city, and a beautiful "lake" that houses a volcano.  We've been starting our mornings with this view. Starting out on our journey today we saw some gigantic billboards. These two were selling Jollibee and the other was selling TUNA... tuna!?!? Our first trip to Jollbee! This is the Philippines favorite fast food restaurant, it is similar to our McDonald's. Their primary food though is chicken, much like KFC. Where do pineapples come from!?! Did you say a tree?? Then you, like myself and Jon, are wrong!!!! These are Pineapple Fields! Pineapples are grown from the ground! When this is ready to pick, the pineapple will be sitting straight up on top of the soil.  Road side stop to see the pineapple fields also allowed us to see t...

decisions to be made

Last week I was taken a little aback by the news that it could be 3.5 years until we would be bringing our children home. I knew this would be a process, a long process, and maybe I was kidding myself thinking that somehow our process would be shorter. We still do have the potential to have a shorter process since our parameters are not extremely narrow, but we will still be no where near what my head was hoping for. In the recent months it had crossed my mind that I could see us adopting more than once, but what a process that would be! If this is a 3-5 year process, to start all over again seemed like so much. But now our minds are racing with a new hope... Because of the letter they sent us, we learned that simultaneous adoption is an option. The thought had never even occurred to me to look into this option, but I'm becoming quite excited about the prospect. With simultaneous adoption, we would be part of two different adoption programs within our agency - Ethiopia & ...

Our "Travel Quilts"

  In preparation for this adoption, we've already started thinking of ways that we can afford this whole process. It definitely won't be a "cheap" venture in our lives. The hardest part will be finding the money to cover the travel costs to Africa. To help with the travel costs, we hope to hold a couple events that will help us raise funds.   A couple years ago, when we first discussed adoption, my thoughts were with quilting. I get such satisfaction making a quilt or a sewn gift for a new child, or for a Christmas/Birthday gift for a niece or cousin. Thinking about a child wrapped in a quilt makes me smile from ear to ear. My thoughts then, and now, are to create baby/children quilts to sell. All money made from these quilts will be kept to help pay the costs of travel to Africa. Each quilt sold will be filled with thoughts and prayers for all children. They are full of my waiting stitches  and filled with love and joy.    The picture below shows the...