The Second Line

I've been thinking lately about how the path toward getting pregnant for us seems a lot like driving in dense fog toward a destination we've never visited. We know where we want to end up, but we have no idea what we're about to encounter along the way or how long we'll drive before we get there.  We're seven and a half months (or eight cycles) into this thing and about $300 out of pocket, which feels like forever and a lot to me, but is a drop in the bucket compared to some folks' fertility investment (in money, time, and  emotional energy). When I sat in waiting room at my OB/GYN's office this week, in some cruel twist of fate, I watched not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR women in various stages of pregnancy stop by the front desk to cheerily schedule or check-in for their ultrasound appointments. The one other woman in the waiting room with me that didn't appear to be pregnant, and whom I silently adopted to be my seething partner-in-misery, w...

I should be grading today. In fact, my school laptop gaped at me in shock and disgust as I reached for my personal MacBook to begin this post. But something has been on my mind this weekend, that Mr. Rogers quote that reappears in the media every so often, especially in the wake of some time of tragedy or despair: "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." I keep thinking about this quote because I keep thinking about all of the people who have shown up recently as "helpers" in my own life and how grateful I am for their appearance.  You see, I am not someone who asks for help. In fact, I do everything possible to make it seem as though I do not need help and instead make myself available to help others. If I had to choose an animal that best fits my personality, I would love to say something cool and majestic like a lioness, but in reality it's the duck. I am gliding across the water on the surface, but paddling furiously underneath. (...