I had it easy

Every Thursday I look back at a specific day and time that was spent with my daughter Matilda as she waited for, received, and recovered from a liver transplant. She was in the hospital for 72 days and we remained in NYC until she turned four months old.

November 3rd, 2012 - I had it easy



The day after Matilda's transplant I was flooded with emails, texts, voicemails, and comments on Facebook about how amazing I was, how gracefully I had handled the last five weeks, and how inspiring my faith was.

It was nice, and appreciated, but completely unnecessary.

I didn't and I don't feel special or different in any way. I am just a mom, who didn't want her little girl to die. I had watched friends over social media undergo similar cloudy days, and I remember thinking the same thing. Thinking that they must know more about life than me. They must be stronger because I couldn't even imagine experiencing that kind of pain.

We are all completely capable of handling difficult moments. My reactions weren't always graceful. They were messy and full of tears. They were real and they were mine to experience. But they were not unique in any way.

Every single day there are parents sitting bedside watching their children die. There are mothers who give birth, but never get to hold their child. There are silent moments filled with grief.

I had it easy. Matilda survived.