Mama's vows

"Every child begins the world again." 

--Henry David Thoreau

I cried as we shared our stories--stories that are filled with a legacy of brokenness. We talked about how little we knew about the home that must have been filled with hurt--the home that raised her mom and my dad. In our family, it just isn't talked about. But we know that people aren't born with the issues that plagued our parents; they're issues that must be developed over time and painfully.

She said she was excited for me because having a baby changes things. It's healing. It's a second chance. It's our way of making it right and proving to the world that the cycle can be broken.

It made me think about the things I want to make sure that Klara will never know--and those things she will know intimately.

As your mama, sweet little one, I promise that:
You will never see me drunk. Ever.
My hands will be used to nurture you, not to hurt you.
I will notice you, know you, and celebrate you.
You will know, in the core of your being, that you are loved and wanted and that you, and all human beings, deserve to feel that way.