5 Comments

Rachael that was beautiful! Here I am this morning feeling all the emotions you mentioned, except for the life inside. I can only imagine how that must feel. I love you so much! I know our mother had the same love for all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Thank you for sharing yourself in this word. If you ever need, you know, you can call me. I love you so much!

Uncle Michael

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This is lovely. Your grandmother sounds wonderful.

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Rachel, congrats on the new little life you’re carrying! What a beautiful reflection on your grandmother!

Stephanie Duncan Smith has a new memoir out where she wrestles with this tension of grief and celebration co-mingled. One quote that stood out to me from her book, Even After Everything, is “It is only human to seek consolation for our pain, but the consolations we crave most will never be found in making less of it. The greatest consolation will never be sourced in scrapping for bright sides, empty speculations of why, but in the full-stop validation: your pain is real. Your lament belongs.” (50)

You are naming your pain and lament and not shying away from or powering through in order to seem “grateful enough” for this new life. This is courageous and whole-hearted living!

Also, why is toasted bread so rough on the roof of my mouth, too? Cuts me up!

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Yessss! I love Stephanie's newsletter. I will look into her book!

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I love your voice, your willingness to press into this season, and your desire to share it here.

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