“Seven days of shivah is enough; why spend all your life like that?”

“You can live each day, mourning for the child you were not given, that perfect child who knows how to talk and smile and will kiss you goodnight. But what will that give you? A life of pain and sadness. Seven days of shivah is enough; why spend all your life like that?

“Or, you can cherish the child that you were given. You can find her strengths, help her with her weaknesses, and rejoice in every smile that she gives you, every time she looks you in the eye, every small accomplishment.”

Filling the Canvas with Color

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 800)