For many like me October 15 is recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. It is a day to show support, educate, and create awareness for those who have gone through a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or the loss of an infant.
Many candles are being lit this month to honor the memories of babies that are no longer with us. It is an act of support that was spurred by the designation of October to be Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month by President Reagan in 1988.
From my own experience with miscarriage, October 15 holds a lot of meaning. From what the statistics say, I’m not uncommon because one in every four women will experience a miscarriage in her lifetime.
But not every women who experiences a miscarriage will talk about it openly. I didn’t talk about mine for a long time after it happened because I was scared of being judged for it.
I thought that it was an indicator of my ability.
I thought it revealed there was something wrong with me.
I thought it meant I was a failure.
I thought it meant I didn’t deserve to be a mother.
I was wrong.
We get to decide what we place meaning on because we choose how we think about it. We craft all of the stories we live by and we get to decide what holds meaning in our lives and what does not.
Nothing has meaning until you think about it.
Your miscarriage has no meaning until you craft what you think about it. That is what shapes your experience of it.
The same is true for October 15. It could just be another day of the year or it can hold more meaning for you if you choose.
What story are you crafting about your miscarriage experience? Is it serving you or is it keeping you in a state of suffering? If you are ready to break free from the suffering, talk to me.