Meeting Kenny's Mom

When I was thrown into this journey, almost two years ago (wow, how has it been that long already?!) I never dreamed I would form such special relationships with other bereaved mothers online. Ones I had never met but bonded with on such an intimate level. I read their blogs and feel like I wrote them myself. In so many ways, we are all the same. And we take comfort in this. It makes us feel less alone in this world where horrible things happen and they have no prejudice.

For some reason, until recently, it never occurred to me that I could actually meet in real life any of these amazing and strong women whom I feel like I already know. But today, it actually happened. I met Julie. :) Julie lost her sweet Kenny last May when she was 25 weeks along, just like me. She and her husband came down to visit some family who happens to live just twenty minutes away from me. We arranged to meet and had lunch today at Chili's, Julie, Daniel, Jude, and me.

It was so great to sit and talk of our babies together and we both felt the same way about so many things. It's so easy to feel like a freak of nature when your body fails you and the only people you can relate to are not a part of your everyday immediate life. But to be face to face with someone who shares your same pain... There's some comfort in that.

It's amazing how universal so many of the emotions of baby loss are. It is such a personal devastation, but it can so easily be shared with strangers. Strangers that become friends.

I am so grateful that I got to meet Julie today. It was like catching up with an old friend. I hope it's not the last time we cross paths or the last time I get to meet a fellow baby loss mom!