The Preciousness of Life

I have held each of my three grandchildren in my hands. One was a preemie girl who didn’t even fit preemie clothes and now stands in the 95th percentile. Another was her brother who miscarried at 10 weeks old and is buried at our cabin. The most recent one still twists my stomach and empties my heart - a healthy sister stillborn at 24 weeks two months ago. She even had the same little button nose as her big sister.

Ever since that regular day when we got the horrible call from our daughter-in-law, time has changed pace. Sometimes it has frozen and sometimes it flips by. But it hasn’t been the same.

We’ve held little lives in our palms three times - two of which did not continue on earth. We have counted down weekly with each pregnancy’s milestone and marveled at the ultrasounds. I’ve started three Christmas stockings in celebration and finished one and a half. I’m learning that parents of stillborns need and want to talk about their lost one so I plan to finish that stocking, too. Just not for this Christmas.

I’ve been blessed with two children and each time I held them I also marveled at their presence and the miracle that they arrived safely. I’ve been blessed with their health and consider that those continue to be ongoing daily miracles. With the traumatic birth of our first grandbaby, we were already aligned with her miracle and my viewpoint has only strengthened over time.

Each of us who manages to breathe on our own and develop is doubly precious. We were all once very little and needing care. Initially, from the womb and that essential umbilical cord. Then from the breast or bottle, then spoon and diaper changes. As time passes, we all absorbed experiences and interactions and began becoming who we are.

I work with the walking and talking versions of once-upon-a-time babies and value each and every person. Not everyone enters the world, not everyone enters the word to loving, eager arms and not everyone gets a good path to journey on. But we all have something in common. We are precious in God’s sight and wanted by Him. The other thing we have in common I get to help people with - moving ahead from what was behind.