Friday, September 17, 2010

Way to Make a Pregnant Woman Cry...

Hi! 

I'm a Crazy Emotional Pregnant Woman and I'm not afraid to admit it.

On this journey I've learned that some of the added bonuses of Pregnancy (other than the potential stretch marks and the sloth-like movement) include increased emotional craziness, extreme irrationality and uncontrollable crying.

Doesn't that make you want to go out and get pregnant right this instant!?!  It probably also makes you want to hang out with me...

Ya, well, I'm an emotional person as it is...and luckily for me and everyone around me (please note: that's written with extreme sarcasm), this pregnancy has only amplified my emotions.  Fun!  And while Travis probably thinks it's just me who's gone totally wacky, I know for sure that I'm not the only woman whose pregnancy has turned them into some version of the Wicked Witch of the West.  Over dinner last night, my girlfriend (and new Mommy) Lucy and I shared some pretty amazing stories of "when we acted the craziest" during our pregnancies...the scary part is that I'm only half way through this process and I had quite the stories to tell...

I won't go into them right now because I'm actually trying to make a point here...while I'm aware my pregnancy has heightened my emotional sensitivity, I also know that there are still things that make me cry NOW that would have made me cry BEFORE my Pregnancy as well...and yesterday, I ran across something that did just that. 

Written by one of my Husband's best friends, fraternity brothers, and groomsmen in our Wedding, "A Letter To A Friend" stopped me in my tracks and made me shed some non-pregnancy related tears (way to go, DShan!).  And while I don't want to expose my husband's emotional sensitivity too terribly much (let's just say I'm a very lucky woman), I do know that this Letter meant the World to him as well...

What up buddy.
 
Wanted to say hello, and glad to hear the named baby is still the sex you thought she was:) Abigail is going to rule the world, man.

I cannot wait to meet her.

Your wife’s a wonderful blogger. She’s a natural, and I say that with some experience. She’s so engaging and presents herself in a such a genuine way. Most bloggers go through a let down period a few months after they start, because the engagement and community around their writing hasn’t really taken off yet, or seems like a mountain to achieve, because the people who have managed to build a great community around their blog seem so far ahead and don’t always do a great job of explaining how they got there.  How they reached that point at which lots of people are invested in what they say and think and experience.

I’d encourage her to power through. I’m so focused elsewhere right now that my own readers probably feel a bit detached from me and what I’m going through, but I know the people who are sharing their life with huge and wonderful communities, and one of the reasons I give so much of myself to 20 Something Bloggers is because it affords me the opportunity to watch bloggers create magic for their readers, their friends and families, and their desire to write and share.

Most bloggers don’t even blog in order to gather that community, but it’s predominantly why most bloggers end up loving blogging. I think writing about your experiences is courageous, when you do it in public, and when other people…people you don’t even know…offer you their thoughts and perspectives on what you’ve tried to describe, you can’t help but begin to care about them too.

Anyway, I love the insight into your new life I’ve had lately, and I’m so excited to watch you be a father. You’re sense for family was what made you you in every place I saw you; you’re a natural and you’re made of everything it takes to nurture truly lasting relationships.

I can see how much you love your new wife. I can see how you couldn’t see past her.

Abigail is incredibly lucky to have you as her father, which may take her a good twenty years to figure out:) We all know it, though, before she’s even joined us.

I know this is a bit of an odd letter to send an old friend, it being located here and it being so intently focused not on you, but on the two women you’ve brought into your heart, but I think you live for your friends and family, and to see you live for those two warms my heart. For a while there, I think we kind of lived for one another, and our inner circle was nothing short of family.

Your new family is amazing, sir…it’s exciting and inspiring and beautiful.

Every time I read it I have the same thought...I completely agree with so many of Derek's words, especially the fact that "Abigail is incredibly lucky to have you as her father, which may take her a good twenty years to figure out:) We all know it, though, before she’s even joined us."  It's so dead on...

Be sure to check out DShan's Blog and read more of his amazing stories here: Derek Shanahan's Personal Blog.  I'd like to consider him one of my mentors as it was Derek who inspired me to start blogging, Derek who shared his tips and resources with me (including 20 Something Bloggers which you MUST check out), and Derek who has encouraged me to continue on this exciting journey!  
 
You truly made both our days yesterday. 
 
Oh, and Abby cannot wait to meet you either!!!

6 comments:

  1. Aww! This is so sweet. By the way, the nice things about you as a blogger are true, too :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. My first comment on your blog (which I obvi read every day!) . . . DShan's note made me cry too =). These boys are pretty special, huh? Miss you guys!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aw, I can feel the love in here! I'm so flattered you'd repost the letter and I'm really glad you guys liked it. It (obviously) started as an email, but I realized halfway through that it was all stuff I'd say publicly, so I figured I'd just do that:)

    Keep bloggin' girl:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. So nice of you to honor others like that. And your friend is very sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is an awesome letter and he's totally right. You are a natural and super talented writer!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Everyone, thanks for the feedback on this Post - I was so happy to write about it and share it with everyone. :)

    ReplyDelete