83 : Celebrate Life's Big Moments

Today was my younger son's first birthday.  The first birthday was a milestone to note for any child but for me this one felt so much more significant.  So much had happened in the past year, it was literally mind blowing.  One year ago, during the weekend of the British Open, I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy.  My husband was by my side, holding my hand, kissing my forehead and acknowledging this amazing miracle that had entered our life.  Within a matter of 6 months, it had all changed.  My husband first told me he was unhappy. And then he told me he was going to move out.  I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.  I was sitting on the couch, nursing my 6 month old infant while silent tears ran down my face.  A month later he filed for divorce.  While I was so completely devasted about him leaving us, life still continued to progress.  I had a lot on my plate, and often people commented on how they couldn't believe I was doing it all alone.  I was taking care of two kids all by myself.  But the truth was, they were taking care of me.  Their smiles.  Their laughter.  Their love, the most pure and real affection that one could find.  It helped heal me every day.  In some ways, I felt like the events of the past year, while tragic had made this incredible, unbreakable bond between my sons and I that may not have ever been.  And now my youngest was 1.  He had made it.  We had made it.  We were not the same unit as when we started, but it many ways we were better.  And from my perspective, that was a something to celebrate.