Elizabeth Grow is an editor and content writer for Love What Matters. A graduate of Utah State University, she now lives in Las Vegas with her husband and two dogs. Elizabeth loves sharing stories that raise awareness for neglected populations within our society, particularly the mentally ill. She loves music, any kind of DIY craft project, and a good movie.
“I’ve rocked in this rocking chair at least a million times. It is the perfect size for a mama and one little baby. I smile at you a little wider than my worn out face should be able to. I know these days will end.”
“Within a week of getting a positive pregnancy test, I could barely function. This darkness was scary and not something I had the tools to combat. It was like I was gone, and there was no magic solution to get me back.”
“I drank A LOT. I lost weight, bleached my hair, got tattoos, and tried to become a whole different person. I have a lot of ‘labels.’ But I am not disorderly. I am not broken.”
“His seizures came ROARING back with a vengeance. We unwillingly checked back into hell. We sat by our baby boy’s bedside in a state of utter despair, as he was intubated and unconscious.”
“My husband came to my side and scooped me up from the floor into his arms. He asked me what happened, but I couldn’t say it. ‘My boy…,’ I told him and trailed off. The pregnancy was confirmed just a week before his memorial service.”
“It’s a cold winter day. I’m rushing to my car to get out of the wind. All of a sudden, I hear a woman yelling at me. I try to calm her down by telling her, ‘It’s OK. I really am handicapped!’ But NOOOO, she will not accept that.”
“The call came just like it does in the movies. I sat in a rocking chair in her room and slid onto the floor as I heard the doctor speak. I stared at this little play clock. I can still see it so vividly — its tiny yellow hands stood still on its pink face. Time seemed to freeze in those moments. I would remember it as the day our life stopped.”
“His doctors were hopeful we could take him out of the house for the first time EVER this summer. We could introduce him to his family members and friends. We could let him play on a playground, like a normal toddler. However, now our future is unknown again as the pandemic has erupted.”
“Kids are not going back to school like they did for fall break. If we rewind to November, none of this was remotely close to being on our radars. Isn’t it crazy how it all changes in the blink of an eye? Just as we plan for the flu yearly, we should prepare for Coronoavirus in the same manner. This does not mean doomsday prepping. Prepping is a community affair.”
“I said, ‘This isn’t happening. This is a false alarm.’ I had a tough decision to make. Do I go with our soon-to-be daughter, or do I stay with our expectant mom? She reassured me, ‘You are supposed to be with your baby.’ These types of mothers are part of the miracle.”
