Ask Me His Name and A Bump in the Road

by Elle Wright

These books are not ‘light’ reading.  They are full of heartache and heartbreak.  At times I just sat there shaking my head thinking, There’s no way this is happening again to this couple.  And yet, even with these heartbreaking stories from her own life experiences, Elle manages pull in her reader with emotion, heart, and, surprisingly, even some humor.

I read Elle’s first book, Ask Me His Name, last year.  Reading the story of her and her husband having to say good-bye to their firstborn son, Teddy, at only three-days-old was heartbreaking beyond belief.  And while I will probably do a re-read to reflect on this first book a bit more here, I will reiterate that Elle’s writing style, despite the aching topic, is very approachable.  It’s a book I highly recommend to anyone who has lost a child or knows someone who has.  But I also recommend it to any human being.  I think finding well-written, soulful books that can help us empathize with others is always a good idea.

Reading or hearing about miscarriage or baby loss was a terrifying notion for me during my child-bearing time.  I’m not too far off when I say I was tempted to put my fingers in my ears and start singing loudly to myself at the mere mention of either of these topics.  My own experience with miscarriage began a big shift, as I had my own deep sadness to heal.  I realized how much I longed to talk about it, and I finally began listening and connecting with other women who had been through it too.  Then, during the past year, I went deeper, reading as much as I could on the unthinkable subject of baby loss after people close to me lost their sweet newborn boy.  While I don’t personally know this journey, it is one I’ve now opened myself up to learning about so I can find the best way to offer support and love.  This has allowed me to hold space in my heart for so many parents and families now.

As if the unimaginable heartbreak of losing a baby isn’t tough enough, I hear again and again how little support there is outside the circles of parents who have experienced such loss.  I think the idea of losing a baby is so painful to even think about that many people who haven’t experienced such unimaginable loss would prefer couples ‘move on’ from their grief so that *they* don’t have to have this on their heads.  While many of the comments and thoughts that others offer in these heartaching situations may come across as hurtful or even callous, I’ve also been trying to at least understand what’s behind it.  While I don’t always agree with people’s comments to bereaved parents, I think I see that people outside such a horrible situation just can’t even bare the thought.  It’s as if the bereaved parents need to ‘cheer up’ to make other people more comfortable.  It sucks, and I can’t imagine some of the comments thrown out to these already-grieving parents.  I often struggle with what to say and how to say it, and I’m positive I get it wrong sometimes.  And while I strongly believe saying something is better than saying nothing, sometimes there just really are no right words.  But I feel that books like Elle’s can at least start to lay the groundwork for others to gain more understanding, so we can offer more empathy and more support.

And just when I thought I was gaining at least some perspective on the aching topic of baby loss, I read Elle’s second book, A Bump in the Road.  I knew from looking her up online that Elle had welcomed a second child in 2020, and I was expecting this second book to be a story of her balancing her emotions of grief and anxiety and hope and joy.  And while she does address this towards the end of the book (Oh, how complicated that question is -“How are you feeling?” when you’re expecting a new baby after a loss or miscarriage), this book is mainly about Elle’s journey of infertility and miscarriage.  It is just as heartaching as the first and has given me a huge new empathy for the infertility journey many couples face.  As Elle openly shares their experiences play by play, it almost doesn’t seem real.  So much sadness and struggle.  Spoiler alert– the book does end with the safe arrival of their second child, but never for a second does Elle discount her firstborn or her two babies lost in between.  Her writing is so genuine and beautiful throughout, but it shines the most in her ‘letter to her former self’ at the very end of the book.

These books are tough reads.  People have busy lives and I completely understand not wanting to put yourself in such a heartbreaking space.  But, truly, these books have given me such a gift.  Through Elle’s willingness to share her experiences in such a heartfelt and open way, I feel like I can hold space and love for parents struggling with infertility and loss in a way that I just wouldn’t have even been able to wrap my head around before.  It’s horrible, but, sadly, we will all know people -or be people – who have these very real and very tough struggles.  Not everyone who goes through this will want to be such an open book (literally), and I 100% respect that, but I do think being able to hear from parents like Elle will help those of us on the outside find more empathy and understanding.  And those very unfortunate ones who do understand can hopefully feel heard, understood, and validated at a time when that might be rare to find.

For a brief summary of Ask Me His Name, try this article: “My Baby Died.  Please Ask Me His Name”

Are There Really More Miscarriages Nowadays?

I remember shortly after I had miscarried, an older woman I was sitting near at a party leaned over to talk with me.  I don’t know if she had overheard about my experience, but somehow she knew.  Instead of offering sympathy or support, however, she instead commented on how so many more women these days were miscarrying than in ‘her’ day.  I knew she just meant to make conversation, but I remember how much the comment stung.  I was in a fragile place and it felt as if this little tidbit she had offered was some sort of commentary about me.  About how being a woman of child-bearing age in today’s world somehow inherently put me at fault for this horribly sad thing that had happened.

At the time, I politely nodded and smiled, but it wasn’t until afterwards that I realized what absolute bullocks her comment had been.  My small amount of research on the topic, like anything on the Internet, shows varied and opposing results – some sites reporting an increase in miscarriages and some a decline.  But, common sense brings up some points that need to at least be taken into consideration:  Women today are equipped with so much more knowledge about their bodies and their cycles that if a woman is paying attention, she will most certainly know when something has shifted.  Add to that the ease and accessibility of earlier and earlier at-home pregnancy tests, and, of course, women these days know they are pregnant far sooner than those from the past.  Women from the past may have mistakenly thought they were bleeding mid-cycle or had what they thought were heavier periods and not even known they had miscarried.  Of course, not all miscarriages slide by this way, but certainly some women, even these days, miscarry without ever having known they were pregnant.  And it is very likely this happened to many women in the past as well.

The other part of this equation is the openness and platforms that women have today.  Topics that were once taboo or kept in tight circles are now talked about (by some) in much larger ways.  So, even when mothers of the past knew they had miscarried, it was probably not brought up in conversation.  Along with the fact that such things just weren’t shared, it also might have been feared or viewed as a failure of one’s body in some way and therefore not a safe thing to discuss.

Of course, there are certainly threats present in our modern society that might contribute to more complications.  But there were also challenges in the past that time has eliminated.  It doesn’t seem to me like there is a way to properly gather statistics about miscarriages over time.  So, will I ever know if losing my baby was part of the perils of living in this present day?  Not really.  But having known the vicious cycle of ‘what-if’s and self-blame that can follow a miscarriage, I do know that women who miscarry – past, present, or future – don’t really need statistics or analyzations, so much as they just need love and support.

Bubble Wands

I fell in love with some of the beautiful bubble wands I saw online recently, and I was surprised to find they were so simple to make.  Obviously, support local and independent artists when you can, but if you’re not in a position to or you’re feeling crafty, here’s an idea for making your own.

I love any time I can make gifts of my own.  In a world of overconsumption, excess packaging, and one-click gifts, I think it’s special to be able to give somebody something unique and homemade.  This would also be a great project to do with kids.  Depending on ages, they may need varying levels of help, but they can at least choose beads and thread them.  We have long been fans of making our own bubble solution, mainly for avoiding those plastic bottles.   Try upcycling an old glass jar and making a batch for yourself!  A bottle of solution (or at least a recipe card) would be great to include with a bubble wand you are gifting.

In an attempt to learn how to make the 60-second “shorts” on YouTube, I tried to squeeze this one into a quick video.  Here are some more details:

Materials:

wire  (Sadly, the wire I used did not list the gauge.  I think I picked it up at a yard sale years ago.  My guess is 20 or 21 gauge, since I do have a 19 gauge wire that is labeled and is too thick for me to do the twisted effect.)
beads  (Obviously, these need to have holes for threading.  We loved having the excuse to visit our local bead shop. (Look for one in your area-you’d be surprised where these are tucked in!). Some beads were a super snug fit, but I also didn’t want them to be too loose.  You may want to bring along a sample of your wire to check.  Just remember to double it over first if that’s your plan.)
pliers/wire cutters  (The wire only needs to be cut once.  Mostly I need small jewelry-type pliers to twist and shape the wire.)

Instructions (or, at least how I made mine):

–Measure 10″ of wire and then DOUBLE it over on itself.
–Cut 20″ of wire total.
–Twist the doubled-over wire for its entire length.
–Use small pliers to form a spiral-like loop on the doubled-over end.  This will be the base of the wand.
–Start threading beads!  Thread about 10 beads, depending on preference and the size of the beads.
–Leave enough wire to form the bubble-blowing circle loop at the top.
–Leave a small bit of excess wire and use the pliers to twist it around the base of the loop.
–Squeeze the wire to tuck in any pointy bits.
–Adjust and bend as desired to create the wand shape you’d like.
–Enjoy!

TIP:  Wipe down the wand after use to prolong the life of the wire.

I hope this post can provide some inspiration for making your own bubble wands!

 

Bubble wands make great gifts for any time, but here are some ideas:

–A child’s birthday (especially those old enough to blow bubbles and not consume the bubble solution)
–An adult’s birthday, because adults deserve fun bubble-blowing time too!
–Before a trip to the beach
–An alternative activity on 4th of July
–Wedding favors or to use as a send-off
–In memory of a loved one – bubbles can be a way for everyone (including children) to take some slow breaths and meditate on a loved one who has passed

 

 

Notebook Freedom in Homeschool

<A quick and random post, but an important part of reclaiming (or just claiming, really) our homeschooling.>

At the beginning of the school year, I’ve usually sought out a lined spiral notebook for my daughter’s schooling.  Granted, these are easier and cheaper to find in the fall, amidst shelves of fresh school supplies.  They are also the type of notebooks I knew as a student and as a teacher in schools.  Students write their work on lined 8 1/2″ by 11″ paper, right?  I know the practical reasoning for this as a classroom teacher – when collecting work, the uniform size of these sheets makes it easier to stack and store papers without misplacing any.  But it wasn’t until yesterday while browsing the cute journals in Marshall’s that I realized there was absolutely zero reason I need my daughter to be using a standard school notebook.  While I occasionally use these standard spiral-bounds for my own writing when they’re around and I need something, they are definitely not my preference.  I prefer big, blank pages for writing as big or small as I’d like and covers that make me happy.  So, even though I do think it’s important for my kids to still use lined paper while they’re specifically practicing printing and cursive (at least for most “school” purposes), I love the idea of them finding notebooks that make them happy to open and use.