I just got off the phone with a dear friend I’ve known for many years.
Her story has always touched me deeply.
She has quietly endured a lifetime of judgment and bullying often from the very people who should have been her most significant support.
Though she has learning disabilities, she is also very intelligent.
Sadly, her family used those disabilities as an excuse to diminish her worth and dismiss her potential.
She found love in a man who cherished her, and together they dreamed of building a family.
But life didn’t unfold the way they hoped.
She endured the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages, all while her in-laws welcomed children of their own often with a complete lack of sensitivity to her pain.
Not long before her 50th birthday, the love of her life passed away after a long illness.
The grief was immense, and the financial strain that followed added to her heavy burden.
In the face of unimaginable loss and long-standing pain, she is blossoming.
She is showing the world what grace, strength, and quiet courage truly look like.
We all face hardships things we never imagined, much less wanted.
But if we can face them with even a fraction of the grace and courage she has, we will have done something extraordinary.