1.
Contrary to what you might think, your life is not over.
2.
You are going to come out of this thing different.
3.
You will gain more than you'll lose. (Not just weight.)
4.
You will no longer be the center of your universe, and that's a good thing.
5.
You will quickly learn the art of showing up.
6.
You will surprise yourself.
7.
You will be forced to confront your faults.
8.
You will become kinder, more gentle. More compassionate.
9.
You will choose to let go of guilt, hurt, and anger.
10.
You will see your own parents differently.
11.
Actually, you'll probably see a lot of people differently.
12.
You will start to realize that you are far more valuable than you ever knew.
13.
You will become more appreciative of those that walk alongside you.
14.
You will move beyond just being a fighter. You will become a warrior.
15.
You will force pride to take a back seat in your life.
16.
You will still have days when you feel afraid.
17.
You will feel beautiful.
18.
But you will still worry about the possibility of your toned abs or perky breasts taking on a new form.
19.
You will have days when you may struggle to hold your head up.
20.
You will be more mindful of who and what you invest your time in.
21.
You will need to say this over and over until it becomes your new truth: I DIDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE. I made a baby.
22.
You will move from asking yourself how am I going to do this to asking yourself how can I not?
23.
Part of you will feel like celebrating, and you should.
24.
You will learn that it doesn't matter what other people think when they look at your growing belly.
25.
You will still be able to reach toward your hopes and dreams.
26.
You will, at some point, look into the eyes of a baby and utter these words, and believe them without a doubt:
