Day in and day out, I interact with mothers.

Sometimes I help women become mothers, sometimes I help women not become mothers. Sometimes I witness the heartache of losing a mother or losing the ability to be a mother. Sometimes I share in the joy of their child’s achievements or laugh at their crazy stories. And sometimes I see women become  mothers to children they did not birth.

To each one of you I say:

You are brave.

You are brave to hold more sacred than your life the life growing inside of you.

You are brave to willingly walk through the valley of pain to reach the land of motherhood.

You are brave to open yourself and give every bit of your heart to another.

You are brave to roar as a lioness to protect your cub.

You are strong.

You are strong to hold together your broken heart for others to lean on.

You are strong to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders so others don’t have to.

You are strong in your tears, you are strong in your laugh.

You are strong in letting go.

You are courageous.

You are courageous in saying no.

You are courageous in saying yes.

You are courageous when you hear the cry in the night.

You are courageous even when you are scared.

And although you don’t hear it often enough

You are loved.

You are appreciated.

You are a heroine.

You are my heroine.