Updated: Jan. 9, 2023
Originally Published: Jan. 8, 2023
It was fourteen years ago when a spirited baby girl, with a head full of soft, dark curls, entered our lives. Her cries were so piercing that when we revealed her name to the doctor, he remarked, “Lila is too gentle a name for such a feisty little one.”
Just six weeks later, while holding her close, I felt an electric surge of panic that I had never experienced before. It started in my heart and sank into my stomach. She wouldn’t meet my gaze. That small moment told me something was amiss with my otherwise perfect daughter.
That day marked a turning point in our lives.
If only the mother I am now could reach back in time and comfort the frightened version of myself from then. This is the letter I wish I could have received: