SkyWriting.Net editior: A must read for women that didn't get to have their own baby.
Cory Hyde thought she would never receive a Mother's Day card. But she got herself a
special job and now has some treasures she will keep for a lifetime. Hopefully, you'll
benifit from her experience and enjoy her perspective in this Gem of a story.
I'll be turning 40 soon!
I am so excited by this prospect that I'm planning this big theme
party! The theme will be "I've never....".
While explaining this to a friend of mine, I laughingly gave the
example of "I've never had a baby shower, so someone would have to bring a
baby gift. Then I'll donate it to the nursery at the church." I was
smiling through this little explanation, until I saw the look on her face.
With tears in her eyes she said, "That's so sad"!
Well, there was a time when I felt that way too. Finding out in my
20's that I couldn't have children was devastating. I immediately left the
child care field and went to work building cables for the B-1 Bomber! The
physical, repetitive labor was very good for me. Towards the end of the
three years, I found that I was just borrowing my co-workers' children to
do things with.
My first and only love was the children. I had a lot of time to think
about all of the things I had been cheated out of. I would never hold a
new born baby in my arms. I would never rock my baby to sleep. I would
never get to sing lullabyes. I would never get to watch my child leave for
their first day of school. I would never get to be the tooth fairy! I
would never get to talk about boys, or proms, or pimples! Yes, I felt that
I was going to get cheated out of a lot. I would never get a Mother's Day
Card!
I'm not sure when it all changed.
I don't think there was one specific moment when I realized that I had
more children than any mother could possibly ever have! And, that's the
answer I gave to my friend.
Smiling, I explained that as long as I work in the nursery, I will
have babies to rock and sing to. As long as I am a Head Start teacher, I
will have first days of school. Working with the youth will give me plenty
of experience with teenagers.
Carissa lost her first tooth at my house and no one was ever a better
Tooth Fairy. I hosted an exchange student from Germany last year and got
to shop for prom dresses. I even cried when she gave me a locket with her
picture in it, engraved with one simple word on the front, "Mom".
I still have it and wear it, and I also have the Mother's Day card she
gave me. All treasures.
My babies are now growing up and having babies. Soon I'll get to have
"Nana" experiences. It doesn't matter that we don't share the same genes.
What we do share is a lot of love.
Truth is, I'm having a hard time finding 40 things I've never done.
It's hard to find them when you're happy, productive and living your dream!
