Moving forward.
What does this even mean?
I keep saying to people and writing on this blog and in messages to well-wishers, "Chris and I will just move forward."
And I guess that's the case. Except perhaps for the one ginormous ridiculous glaring fact that we've taken a huge step backwards. Back to waiting and wondering and uncertainty. Here we thought that today we'd be on maternity/paternity leave. Starting a new and exciting chapter in our lives. The chapter when we become parents. And instead today is back to work as usual.
Will anything ever feel "as usual" again?
"We'll just move forward."
At the moment I don't even know what that looks like. I keep moving from being sad to being numb to moments when I feel OK to trying to distract myself from the sadness and the numbness to extend those moments when I feel OK.
And now we're supposed to just go back to work as usual.
How do my husband and I do that?
How do we grieve and be normal and functional at the same time? How do I do that? How do I move forward when all I want to do this morning is crawl downstairs to my couch/cave and spend another day weeping there?
"We'll just move forward."
Our little tragedy is done, right? Move on. Get over it. Go to work. Focus on your job. These things happen for a reason. This obviously wasn't the right situation. Soon you guys will be parents.
"We'll just move forward."
Like Chris, I keep trying hard to not think about all of the things we would have been doing today had the adoption not fallen through. And I'm kind of failing miserably at not thinking about what today would have been like had the adoption not fallen through.
"We'll just move forward."
How do I do that? Can someone tell me?
At the moment I keep pretending to other people that it's as simple as moving forward one day at a time. I'm pretty sure that I keep pretending to myself that I'm moving forward.
But at the moment I don't know what the hell moving forward looks like.
I really don't.
* Addendum *
Chris reads the above post then wanders into the living room to plant a few gentle kisses on my forehead.
"I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do for you."
Knowing that he is in just as bad a shape as me, I reply, "I wish there was something that I could do for you."
"You could iron my shirt," he says with a little grin.
"Now that I can do," I reply with a smile.
So...I guess we're moving forward.
This is such a tough time for you two and I'm saying my prayers for you as I read this. My husband and I are waiting right now, haven't been matched yet. I can't imagine what you are going through, but I think in order to move forward you have to allow yourself to grieve, get mad, get sad, etc. It's ok to feel these things as that is how we move past them. Are there any couples in your circle whom also may be adopting who you can have dinner with? Support is always helpful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to visit, Sarah. We don't know any other couples locally who are currently adopting, but have gotten lots of support from friends and colleagues who are adoptive parents. Very much appreciate your kind words and thoughtful suggestion.
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