Love

‘You stand outside school with her, holding her hand just as tightly as she holds yours. What if someone is mean to her? What if she doesn’t make any friends?’

“Her backpack is filled with glue sticks, crayons and Kleenex. Maybe the teachers ask for Kleenex so you can sneak a few on your way out the door. She won’t let go of your hand, as if she’s silently asking you to guide her through this first leap.”

By Eliza Murphy - Aug 21, 2018

‘Even though post-partum depression is what broke me, it also saved me. I wasn’t willing to accept I needed these until I had babies.’

“My husband displayed love, patience, and understanding as I drifted further away from the beautiful, happy, silly girl he wed that October day. But eventually, he encouraged me to face my demons.”

By LJ Herman - Aug 21, 2018

‘I didn’t come home with a baby, but I still gave birth.’

“I write this for the mom about to go through this. I write this for her, so she might be able to mentally prepare for the oddity of wanting congratulations in such a sad time. I write this to prepare her for the desire to celebrate her child’s life, while she’s mourning that very life.”

By LJ Herman - Aug 21, 2018

‘Two days before my dad committed suicide, he called. ‘Shut up’ spewed from my mouth. I never spoke to him that way. Those were the last words I ever said to him.’

“I was so angry and upset for so long at the fact he chose drugs, and willingly chose to take his own life and leave me. I now understand though. I’ve now felt that pain.”

By Eliza Murphy - Aug 20, 2018

The front desk said, ‘Congratulations, but we don’t see you until you’re 8 weeks.’ I said, ‘That’s good, considering I have no idea how many weeks I am, since I never had my period.’

“A nurse called my name and told me, ‘You picked the wrong day to come here, Mondays are busy, and we don’t have a room.’ They let us know the news. I had miscarried; however, the gestational sac was still there.”

By LJ Herman - Aug 20, 2018

‘Let’s address the pornography issue. To those who think I ‘jumped ship,’ you’re right – I did. Because we were not yet married, it was not my job to ‘fix him.’’

“We already had over 300 wedding invitations sent out. We had to call every single one of those people and tell them what happened to inform them the wedding was off. Pornography addiction does not just affect you. It affects the people around you.”

By Eliza Murphy - Aug 20, 2018

‘There’s no sperm in your semen.’ What was I supposed to tell my wife? This was the one thing she wanted in life.

“Sperm. Freaking. Extraction. Had to get naked and lay on a table. The doctor ‘numbs’ your nether regions with a shot (which HURT A WHOLE FREAKING LOT) and tells you, ‘That’s it, that’s the worst part.’ So now you can kick back and relax. LIES. ALL LIES.”

By LJ Herman - Aug 20, 2018

As the bus was pulling up you could hear the ‘DADDY’ screams from her little mouth. She was jumping up and down, pointing, ‘Daddy get off the bus!’

“She suddenly lets go of my hand and starts running. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a smile from my husband like when he finally got his little girls in his arms after 175 days away.”

By Eliza Murphy - Aug 20, 2018