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
“I teared up remembering how when I was younger, I would have been picked up and gotten mad at for crying like that, then left to cry. The cycle ends with me, for her.”
“I hear it all the time. ‘Why are you always taking pictures?’ ‘Live in the moment and stop trying to take a picture.’ ‘Really? You want to take a photo?'”
“We did everything we could to support her biological mother. Sadly, it became clear reunification would not be possible. I remember feeling that we would adopt her, but it was not an easy path.”
“I won’t lie, I loved it. I loved the praise, the increased Instagram likes, the attention. I always saw myself as the chubby awkward girl and was in awe of my skinnier friends, but now I had a chance to be like them, to be accepted.”
“The tech said, ‘Baby A-girl, baby B-girl, baby C-girl, baby D-girl, and baby E-girl.’ Later, we found out our girls were only the 2nd set of all-girl quintuplets in the US.”
“I asked my daughter why she thought Amanda was my girlfriend. She said, ‘Because you are always together, and you look like you love her.’ That was it. We were official and my kids adored her.”
“A patient mentioned she could not wait to get home because she missed walking at sunrise with her best friend. When Sarah’s shift ended, she clocked out, got two coffees, and sat with the patient, watching the sunrise. She did not ever do these extra things out of pity. It’s just the type of person she was.”
“During the adoption process, when he could see I was having a tough day, he gave me the most powerful advice: ‘Dad, don’t give up hope and keep fighting because we will win!'”
“You don’t have to have it all together every minute of every day. You don’t have to feel the need to put on a brave face just because you think you have no other choice but to do so.”
“I kept all my feelings to myself for years before I talked to someone about it. I experienced flashbacks and intrusive thoughts and felt as though no one would understand because my babies were fine. But underneath, I was sinking.”
