Human Struggles

Here is something that I don’t often talk about with colleagues and clients. But it makes you more human to share your struggles.

I went through several years of infertility treatment and procedures to have our daughter, Georgia. It took a total of 5 years to conceive her. It was such a hard and humbling experience. And my issues were mild in comparison to others.

I questioned everything about myself. I wondered if I caused it somehow. I wondered if my husband would still love me. I thought of everything I ever did wrong in my life that God could be punishing me for. It’s such a personal and emotional thing that I didn’t always want to share it. But as you may know, when you suffer in silence, well-meaning people will say some pretty stupid things to you.

So here’s my PSA of the day, my friends! If a woman is childless, don’t ask why. And if someone has been married for a while, don’t ask when they plan to start having kids. Maybe they’ve been working on that. And they don’t need your help. Other people may have good intentions with the things they say. They say it will happen when the time is right. They tell you God has a plan. They tell you to relax and it will happen. (Which by the way, is the worst thing you can say to a woman in the middle of infertility.)

This is your reminder to be sensitive to other people. Be kind. We’re all going through something. Everyone goes through human struggles. It’s how we react that makes us good people.