Surprise!
🤩
‘As I held the photo in my hands, life did a 180. I knew I couldn’t get pregnant. ‘It’s okay. I don’t need kids,’ I kept telling myself. My sister smiled and blurted out, ‘I’ll carry for you!’ I was in shock.’
“She gave me a nudge. I will never forget her saying, ‘I would be jealous if someone else carried for you.’ This was a huge, life changing thing she would be doing. She lets me ask all of the weird questions.”
‘I realized my worst nightmare had come true. I was truly alone, ‘white-knuckling’ it. I did a 180 and completely turned my life around. Or, so I thought.’
“I’m now a successful and contributing member of society, with a picture-perfect life. However, looks can be deceiving – because I had a secret.”
‘I blurted out, ‘I think I’m pregnant.’ I’ll never forget her face. She offered no support, wouldn’t hug me, she was ice cold. ‘How was this possible?’ What did I do wrong?’
“Who could I trust to tell? I tried calling my mom, to no avail. She was cold and distant. It hurt. After my appointment, I came home, threw on Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Stay Together,’ and danced around the house with my daughter. I was going to be a mother. I was keeping her.”
‘I wanted to make it a night to remember.’ Football player goes all out with Promposal to make girl with Down syndrome ‘feel like a princess’ at Prom
“David heard that Destinee wanted nothing more than to attend Prom, but didn’t think she’d ever have a chance. He decided to take matters into his own hands and did something beautiful.”
‘We sound like the beginning of a bad joke. A Black, Transracial, Mennonite Adoptee and a White Mennonite Midwesterner walk into a bar…’
“Eight years ago, I got in a car at midnight to eat bad cheese fries at a sketchy truck stop. I took a chance to be vulnerable with someone I didn’t know. And, it changed my life.”
‘She was perfect, the kind of baby other mothers are jealous of. Until she wasn’t. We felt lost on how to ‘fix it.’ I quit my job. My husband ran out of sick days.’
“She had a diaper rash we couldn’t control. I knew there was nothing normal about it. I thought, ‘Funny thing. I ALWAYS washed Kinsley’s clothes before letting her wear them.’ ALWAYS. But on this day, I blamed myself.”
‘Why don’t you paint it?,’ my mom suggested. I wanted to make my own dress for prom. She encouraged me to chase my dreams and make it happen. Was it simple? No. Worth it? TOTALLY.’
“Some days I’d come home from school to find that my mom already started without me. She’d cut the skirt’s panels, sew the bottom of the dress, and more. Like so many things in life, she worked hard to make things easier for me.”
‘My classmate’s baby had a fever. Our teacher told her to bring her. I heard Katie say, ‘She’s a little fussy,’ when handing her over.’
“Teachers like Dr. George will hold your sick baby when you can’t get a last minute sitter so you can take a test. She always makes it clear we can ask her for help.”
‘Kalen I am done.’ We both were bartenders. I was a single mom, and this amazing guy was just waiting to get his next high. He did not even weigh 110 pounds and had very sad eyes.’
“I met this amazing guy. He always had headphones in, came in late every day and refused to speak to me. Being the high-strung, outspoken girl I am, I knew I would change that. Little did I know what I was up against.”
‘Where are you going?’ I asked. ‘I’m leaving. Obviously, I am not a priority in your life!’ He peeled out of the parking lot, leaving me standing there wondering what the hell just happened.’
“I got a phone call. The woman was getting divorced and needed my help. My boyfriend stomps towards me, handing me my wallet and keys. ‘Your priorities are all out of whack,’ he said as he nearly runs me over while heading towards his car.”
