As I type this, it’s actually a few weeks past the anniversary date, BUT still. In April of 2021, I started on this journey with nothing but an idea. I never meant for any of this to become public. Most of it, honestly… were my thoughts and my feelings. I would spend hours just writing in my journal. My mind is such a busy place. So many thoughts come and go, ebb and flow- I would just write them down as they would come. I decided to take it from the written page to the webpage and thus, Make Your Mark was born.

It is weird, writing all of this. I’ve had some great feedback from friends and family- even strangers whom I’ve never met. I’ve also had some… not so great, or cruel comments, mostly from strangers. I struggle with criticism. I take it all to heart- and when something comes from the heart and is met with criticism, it makes me no longer say what I need to say.

And the thing is… despite what anyone may think, what I have to say is important.

I’m not saying this blog is important. I am not saying that my personal struggles and my particular experiences are important. I am not saying I am the Queen of All and my word is the law. But I am saying that there are millions of other people in this world going through what I am, or what I have. So maybe this wasn’t meant to be anything more than a way to express myself, but it turned into more… so so so much more.

Disability Visibility (Disability Awareness) needs to be pushed to the front of today’s society, especially among our youngest generation. Curiosity met with patience will lead to understanding and acceptance.

Mental Health for Parents of Children with Special Needs needs to become a new support group in local areas- not pro bono therapy sessions but scheduled, promoted, and attended. There are so many families who run into each other at the same therapy office, lab, or in the waiting room at the hospital. We all know why we are where we are, but we don’t have a safe place to lean on one another and to talk openly with other families in similar situations.

NICU Support and Resources are some things that most hospitals do very well. The hospital where I delivered Mark is exceptional, but there is still something that needs to be done… and something will be done. Next week, I have another announcement that I cannot wait to share with you.

Motherhood is hard. Parenthood is hard. To sit here and tell you that it’s a walk in the park and that everyone experiences it the same way would be a lie.

As I sit here and type this, I have a confession to make… I went back and read every post of mine over the last year. Weird, right? Maybe more awkward or cringe even. But the trends I’ve found in myself over the last year are growth, confidence, and fear.

I’ve grown as a person in more ways than one. I think confidence plays a huge part in that, but I’ve somehow found a way to maintain my sanity through it all while becoming more of an adult (an adult-ier adult… who adults). Growth for deciding what is good for me and my mental health. Confidence to pursue my dreams. Fear for the future of raising my son.

With that said, I am going to keep on growing and gain enough confidence to face my fears head-on and with grace. I just hope this blog is around so others can get a peek inside my mind as I do. I cannot wait to look back on this in a year and see how far I’ve come.

Thank you for your support. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.