Written Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the day before Thanksgiving.
Today I chose to brave the airport to travel to see my sister and her family. I’ve had the plane tickets purchased for several weeks now, but last week one of her little girls was sick with a 104 degree fever, so I was contemplating rescheduling the trip for a later date. It’s become a bit of a running joke amongst family and friends that I visit my sister’s family for Thanksgiving to get my annual illness. Two years ago it was Covid, last year it was a horrendous stomach flu. Cross your fingers that this year with a combination of emergen-c, good rest, healthy food, and a positive attitude, somehow I will avoid getting sick.
I’m going to be completely honest- I’ve been struggling to come up with blog topics, but on the way home from the airport my sister made a comment that gave me an idea.
A few minutes into the drive, she told me some big news! She told me that she and her husband are pregnant (again)! I was so incredibly excited, but the next words out of her mouth broke my heart. She said several of her very close friends have struggled with infertility and part of her felt guilty for being able to get pregnant so easily!
I get it! It’s completely natural to want our friends to have their every desire! But wow, it’s horrible to feel like you cannot be completely excited for your own accomplishments or celebrations for fear of upsetting your friends.
My sister and I are only 13 months apart in age. We have always been very close, but would say our relationships have varied quite a bit. She never really dated in high school. I had one serious relationship through high school and into college that ended after 5 years. Then in college, she met a boy, who moved across the country to be with her. Shortly after grad school, they moved south, got married, and started a family. I on the other hand have had a couple of relationships in my adult life, but nothing has panned out for the long-haul, just yet.
I have always wanted kids, but as I get older, continue to grow in my career, and most of all struggle to find a decent human being in this world to date, let alone, marry, it has certainly occurred to me that children of my own aren’t necessarily in my future. The last several years I have watched as most of my friends and family, near and far, have gotten married and started families. And now, as cousins who are nearly 10 years younger than me start having children, it feels like that future is getting closer and closer to being a reality.
At this point, I’m sure you’re wondering what is the point here? There are a few reasons I chose to write about this today.
One. In no way shape or form, should anyone who is so blessed to be pregnant feel guilty. We can only be thankful for what we have. A lot of life is unfair, but there are always things to be grateful for, no matter how small. I truly believe the only way to be happy in this crazy world is to believe that everything happens for a reason and in the right time.
Two. The timeline that our parents and grandparents followed is outdated and unrealistic for most young adults in the 2020’s. Don’t compare yourself to others because all of our expectations, circumstances, goals, abilities, finances, and most of all internal organs are independent of each others. Life is not a race or a contest, all we can do is work hard towards our own goals and surround ourselves with people who make us better versions of ourselves!
Three. In this incredible age of medicine and technology, we have options. One and six couples struggles with infertility which is defined as the inability to get pregnant within a year of consistent efforts. In addition to fostering and adoption, fertility treatments and surrogacy are all viable options for individuals or couples who want children.
I can tell you with the utmost certainty, that if my future doesn’t include marriage and fertility, there is no one I would trust more to handle a surrogacy journey then Little Miracles Surrogacy. Having known the owners for many years, I can confirm that their heads and hearts are in the right place to run this business. I know that my health, safety, and sanity would be their top priority, I would be matched with a like-minded surrogate, and they would do everything in their power to ensure a smooth journey.
If you have questions about entering into a surrogacy journey of your own, Little Miracles Surrogacy is here to help answer any questions you may have. Email them here: info@littlemiraclessurrogacy.com or complete a surrogate or intended parent form on the website.
Please like, share and follow on social media - especially if you enjoyed reading this post!
Comments