How I Found Gratitude After a Miscarriage
Seven years this week, I experienced my first of two traumatic miscarriages. I was 15 weeks pregnant with my second child, and without knowing it, I went into labour at home. I took a bath to manage back pain and ended up giving birth at home in a very traumatic way. I was home alone, and needed to call 911 for help. The police arrived and broke down the door. Thankfully, it was two women, and they came upstairs to find me in my most vulnerable (naked) and emotionally upset state. The EMS arrived a few minutes later and they helped me get to the hospital. My husband met me there, as did one of my best friends.
The miscarriage was incomplete, which means I had to undergo a surgical procedure called a D&C. There was a gap in the operating room, so I was rushed upstairs for the surgery, without even signing the consent forms. When I woke up about 30 minutes later, I was alone in the recovery area. My husband had gone home to clean up the mess in the bathroom and my friend has to go and breastfeed her own baby.
The only thing I wanted to know was what had happened to my baby.
The nurse didn't have a very good answer. She said it would be treated with respect, however at the end of it all, it would be medical waste. I was numb. About an hour later, I was discharged from the hospital and we went to pick up our then two year old daughter at day care.
That night, after all that we had been through, I somehow found the strength to write in my gratitude journal.
I am grateful my daughter was at day care.
I am grateful the police could break down the door.
I am grateful for the nurses at the hospital.
That day, I realized that if I could use my gratitude practice on what was the worst night of my life, that I had to share my practice with others.
Over the next month, I wrote my first book, 30 Days of Gratitude, The Gratitude Program That Will Change Your Life. My sister helped me to edit it. I submitted it to Balboa Press the first week of April for self-publishing. And by the end of May, the book launched and became an Amazon Bestseller on May 31, 2013.
Fast forward to this past year. I've been living on Vancouver Island and taking photos of sunrises, beautiful trees and landscapes daily. I have always wanted to create something to go with my book and it finally dawned on me.
30 Days of Gratitude Cards is a set a beautiful gratitude cards, featuring 6 different images from my photos around Vancouver Island. Each card has a message of gratitude for the recipient. Whether you take on a 30 Days of Gratitude challenge or simply order these cards to have on hand as needed, I hope these will be a reminder to practice gratitude every damn day.
Please tag me when you send or receive these cards. I would love to see how you are sharing your gratitude with others.
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So happy you survived the miscarriage and ended up writing your gratitude book. Love you.