Devon Ledbetter is a writer and editor based in Florida. She holds a BA in English from Florida State University. She currently formerly worked as a Digital Editor with Love What Matters and has previously had works published with College Magazine and Her Campus. Her favorite pastimes include beach trips, baking, and concerts. You can learn more about Devon through her portfolio https://dnl16b.wixsite.com/ledbetter-portfolio
“If I hide him away, and if every other parent of a disabled child hides their child away, when is there going to be an opportunity to educate? Where is the inclusion? Where is the awareness and the representation of children like mine?”
“Our friendship has allowed us to be each other’s support, to cry when things get tough, to encourage when one is feeling weary. We do our best to create memories for our kids that they can cherish forever.”
“When the likelihood of longevity of life got taken away from me, I realized how much I was wasting precious time and energy. How much I was wasting time worrying about what people thought of me and obsessing over every day problems.”
“Every single child is different, every single way to parent is different. What worked for you will not work for everyone. What you were told to do at one time is probably not the way any longer.”
“Josh wanted to adopt Sirius after deployment. After he was killed, there was really no second thought; I was going to adopt him myself. Josh never had children, but in a way, this was his child.”
“If this movie would have come out when I was younger, I would have been thrilled to watch a movie with a main character who looked like me and with a story that reflected my own personal experience.”
“I knew immediately I had never met anyone like Megan, and this was it. This was the person I didn’t believe existed.”
“My top family’s letter was different from all the others. ‘Dear Friend, we wonder if these letters are as hard to read as they are to write.’ It was a way of showing me they recognize I’m still a person and not just a means of them getting a child.”
“Even if you don’t understand it. Even if you secretly hate their movies or their music. Even if you think it’s silly or a waste of time. I promise you, it will mean so much to her. And when you’re gone, she’ll look back and realize just how lucky she was to have you.”
“We’re all thrown out into the open ocean of motherhood just trying to stay afloat and make our way back to shore alive…but no matter how big those waves are, the open ocean of motherhood is the most beautiful, humbling, and awe-inspiring creation there is.”
