The Roads We Take

As we grow from children into adulthood we begin to choose the different roads we will go down. Some may choose straight,  constructive paths, while others choose winding paths of self-destruction. And as we gain our independence, we feel that we have control of the paths we choose to take. Whether good or bad, the choice is up to us…

And for a season of time, all our paths seem manageable.

BUT THEN. How quickly the road can change…tragedy strikes and we begin to see how little control we had all along. It becomes very clear that no matter which path you start out on, you can end up somewhere you never could have imagined. 

For many of us, that is in an ultrasound room- hearing words we never thought we’d hear. It is in a dimly lit hospital room- where time stood still and the lines of life and death blurred completely. It is in a funeral home – standing in front of the smallest casket you have ever seen. It is in a room full of familiar faces – and yet you feel completely and utterly alone. It is in a cemetery at sunset- kneeling over a tiny grave. 

It is in the relentlessness of everyday, as days continues to pass, another day your child will never see.

Many of us have been put on a road that is so dark and desolate that we can barely see to take another step – the road of child-loss. And there are many times that we may wish, pray, plead for that road to end. But for most of us this is the path we must walk until the end of our days. We are the poor brave souls that just keep soldiering on. We must keep soldiering on! 

And we will.

Because there is a bend in the road up ahead… And that could mean another dark dead end street.. But it could also be a path we’ve never seen before. A path that may take us to new beginnings with unknown adventure ahead.

Alex Hopper
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Alex Hopper is a freelance writer living in North Carolina. She has been happily married to Trent for 7 years. Their son, Cyrus, was diagnosed with a rare fatal birth defect at their 12 week ultrasound. They chose to fight for his life and to carry him with love for as long as they could. He was born on November 25, 2013 at 33 weeks and lived for a precious 1 hour and 9 minutes. They are heartbroken that he is gone but thankful for his life and know that he will never be forgotten. He is their only child. Now Alex chooses to write openly and honestly about her grieving process and hopes that her words will help others feel less alone. She created and writes at Hope in the Heartache, and is a writer for All That Love Can Do.

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