Time for Gratitude: Patience

In my third trimester with my first baby, I’m most thankful for patience.

It wasn't easy to get to where my husband and I are today. But despite the heartburn and Braxton Hicks I’m experiencing now, this journey has been worth every long step.

Pregnancy is the greatest gift I've ever known.

My husband and I tried 18 months to conceive our firstborn. I never thought infertility would be a problem for me. We are young, healthy adults who lead clean, active lives. But after a few months, it was clear we would need help to achieve the family of our dreams, and it was then my patience was tested.

I’m really not a patient person. I don’t handle traffic well, and I don’t like being late. But I discovered a new strength inside of me when I had no choice but to wait, patiently, for our good news to finally arrive. Month after month, we would grieve another letdown, selfishly asking, Why us? But now I realize I was seeking justification for all the wrong reasons. Even as adults, it’s hard for us to understand why things happen the way they do.

Perhaps it was more my husband’s optimism and strength that carried me, but my level of patience has forever changed now. I understand life differently because of this journey to conceive. Even though I’m fighting impatience yet again as we await our due date, I can understand now that all good things come in their own time.

In the end, it was this baby who taught me that lesson, someone I’m eternally grateful for, too. 

~Angela