Alana Sheeren, words + energy

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Doing it wrong

July 14, 2012 By Alana

Tonight I lay with Ada in the basement of my brother’s house, waiting for her to fall asleep and feeling resentful. We’re in Edmonton and it’s light until after 10:30pm so the time between kids finally quieting down and adults collapsing seems nonexistent. I hate being grumpy with her and there’s been too much of that this week. Buttons pushed by travel, heat, and fatigue. She’s been scared and needing me in ways I’ve had a hard time meeting. Steve gently wondered on the phone if it has to do with the time of year. I finally realized how quickly July 29th is approaching.

The second anniversary of Benjamin’s stillbirth.

My sister-in-law mentioned feeling sad that while the two older girls bounce and run and giggle together, their youngest, who was born 5 weeks after Ben died, has no playmate. My brother wondered if Steve and I had talked further about adoption. A friend sent a link to a picture of this statue.

The Child Who Was Never Born. Sculptor: Martin Hudáčeka.
Source: IHRG.org

My baby is gone but not forgotten.

Lying in bed, I forgave myself for my struggle. Breathing deeply, my mind wandered to those I know who are in the midst of a journey with cancer. It drifted to the story of Anita Moorjani and her near death experience. I haven’t read her book, but the words came to me as though I heard her speaking them:

We are Love and our sole purpose in this life is to be Love.

My body relaxed, my breathing deepened, my muscles unclenched. And I remembered. We can’t do it wrong, this life. It’s impossible. We can make it easier on ourselves, or harder. We can feel victimized or empowered. We can live as love or live in fear. But we can’t do it wrong. I can choose to agonize over the little things, or not. I can fight what’s in front of me, or accept it. I can stress about the lack of vegetables in my daughter’s diet and the fact that I’ve been eating too many Trader Joe’s Root Vegetable Chips, or I can loosen the strangle hold of control, trusting that one day she’ll love kale and next week I’ll get more exercise.

I can’t do it wrong.

Happy, grumpy, tired, inspired, ecstatic, imperfect, heart-broken, human. It takes the pressure off. Can I do it better? Sure, if that means more in alignment with who I believe myself to be. If better means getting out of my own way more often and not letting fear keep me small. I’m like that airplane on autopilot, self-correcting whenever I get off course. The destination isn’t in doubt (though I have no idea what it will look like when I disembark) and the journey is both magical and brutal. It helps me to remember, I can’t do it wrong.

Neither can you.

Forgive yourself. Take the pressure off. There’s no wrong decision. No bad choice. Live it. Learn. Auto-correct. You can’t help it. You’re brilliant. You’re human.

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Filed Under: Life After Benjamin

Comments

  1. Roos says

    July 15, 2012 at 5:24 am

    I have sensed the 29th approaching in my core and wondered just last night laying in bed if you would write about it. I am so glad you did. Your journey is still so incredibly inspiring to watch and your honesty sets the example time and time again.

    If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past 1,5 year, then it’s about love. I’m keeping the faith in Eternal Love. That way we are and will be One always.

  2. Pamela says

    July 15, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    Thank you Alana. I needed this! We all do. Your self awareness and bravery and compassion are beautiful. Thank you for reminding me that just because life is hard doesn’t mean we are doing it wrong.

  3. Jessica M. says

    July 15, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    <3 so true, so very true <3 (((hugs))) friend

  4. Stereo says

    July 17, 2012 at 4:49 am

    I am glad you realised this and that you found comfort and reassurance in this too. I love you and I miss you.

  5. julianna avila says

    July 18, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Thank you~thank you.

  6. Michelle Leah Gomez says

    July 19, 2012 at 12:02 am

    I came to your site tonight to copy the address for someone whom I’ve never met. ( I was quickly taken in by this post and so appreciated and enjoyed your message and how you said it — I’m thinking of you and Steve, Ada and Benjamin. And that statue — words don’t serve me . . . .)

    This mama whom I’ve never met just posted that she and her husband found out today that their baby boy inside is no longer living. I am feeling grateful to be able to offer you and the community you have built here to her family. I told her about Picking Up the Pieces and all that she can find here with those who can so keenly understand her emotions — which are unique to each person — and yet hold this great loss in common. (((Hugs to You)))

  7. Dyana Valentine says

    July 24, 2012 at 8:57 am

    love you, Alana. happy to eat chips and walk on ocean with you.

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