On a note of sadness

I had thought to do a Haiku. But artificial constructs put too much limit on the expression of ideas. And it would seem so artificial. And I don't want this to be artificial. It is not to be taken lightly. There is a sad happenstance to speak to here, and it deserves proper attention and respect.

Lotus' baby is gone. There was no heartbeat at the Doctor's visit. He made it 11 weeks and 4 days. A second failed pregnancy. There is no consolation I can offer. There are no words I can utter that will soften her pain right now - but I am so saddened by what I know of what she feels.

Those of us who have lost children know a special kind of pain. As a man, the pain I felt when we lost ours is but a pale shadow of what Annie went through, what Annie goes through. But having lived with Annie's pain, I know what Lotus feels right now. Again. A second consecutive time. This kind of thing reaches right down into a woman's soul and rips out great painful chunks that never, ever, heal.

Do you wonder why I love the strength and courage of women? Look at them. They bear children. And having done it once, they go back and do it again. They sometimes lose children. And having lost a child, they'll try again. And again. And again. Always aware of the pain that's coming - one way or the other. The pain of loss or the pain of birth. And always looking past the pain to what they're hoping for in the end. A child.

The thing that amazes me most is that Lotus most likely will try again. There is no quit in that woman. She will swallow her pain, she will live with the worry and concern, and she will try again. And the most amazing thing to me, as a man, is that she is typical of 'woman'. Typical. As in 'not unusual'.

I am so truly heartbroken for Lotus and her pain. No one should ever have to endure that kind of pain, and she has done so more than once. That she will one day be willing to risk the same pain, for a greater pain and a better result, demonstrates more courage than I could ever muster.

No last paragraph, today.

Pray. For Lotus and her baby.