A few months ago Sam and Shawn were getting excited to welcome their second child into their family; a boy. Throughout the whole pregnancy baby Jaden remained safe. Perfect. Nothing seemed to be amiss. When Shawn went into labor their baby boy did not survive. Two months after they lost their child, Sam left for basic training. Shawn is left at home with her two year old trying to keep her chin held high. Before Sam left they both chose to embark on a journey that they had visited before they had even started having children; adoption. Now they both hope and wait for a call, or someone to reach out to them. By the smile on her face, you would never know Shawn’s heartache, or her desperate hopes. She blends into the crowd of nameless faces we see and interact with everyday.
In some way, we are all “broken.” Some of us desperately miss our spouses, are tired from parenting alone, or exhausted from being away from family. Some of us have suffered loss, exceptional heartache and grief. These are commonalties in our community and these commonalties link our families together.
