Tasmania by Paolo Giordano

 

I spent 8 hours on a train yesterday and finished reading a novel by Paolo Giordano. I have read all the novels he has written, and I loved them all.

Infertility, childlessness, and accepting life without a biological child are not the central focus of this book, but the theme is always present.

This is the first novel I have read written by a man who writes about these topics.

Here are some quotes from Paolo Giordano:

“A different future opened before us.”

“The absence of a child filled the house.”

“We learned to inhabit another possibility.”

“Our life adjusted to a missing presence.”

“Not all lives follow the same design.”

“The future no longer required a child.”

“We rearranged our expectations.”

“The imagined child slowly faded.” 

 

I do recommend reading this novel. 

Snowflakes bouquets

 

There is something precious my mother taught me when I was a child: you don’t need to buy gifts—you can make them yourself.

This morning, before starting my workday, I went for an early walk through the forest. The air was quiet and fresh, and the ground was covered with delicate snowflakes. I picked some of them and made five small bouquets.

One was for a friend who can no longer walk because of MS. One was for her mother. One was for my mother. One was for my granny. And one was for my uncle’s wife.

In two days it will be International Women’s Day, so I told them this is my small gift to celebrate it.

I love this holiday because it doesn’t divide women into categories. It simply celebrates women.

Crocus haiku

 

Side by side we grow,
like two crocuses in the sun—
enough, just us two. 

💜💜

Snowflakes haiku

 

Snowflakes in the wood
Slow steps on a quiet path
I breathe and I live

Twenty Years Since the Glacier Taught Us to Breathe Again

 

Today marks exactly 20 years since my husband and I visited Patagonia and its breathtakingly beautiful Perito Moreno Glacier. It is quite literally the most beautiful thing we have ever seen.

Visiting Argentina was not just an ordinary trip.

It came after our first failed IVF treatment, which had seemed so promising — I was so sure everything would go perfectly. It didn’t. The disappointment that followed was so overwhelming that there are no words to describe the darkness.

The only thing that helped to heal my broken soul was buying two plane tickets to Buenos Aires and starting to plan our journey. It helped us find joy in our lives again.

Of course, travelling is not a magic cure. The trip ended and we returned to our real lives. But the happy moments healed us, at least a little, and made us stronger to face everything that followed.

Kindness

 

I received this quote from Elaine a few weeks ago, and it meant so much to me.

So I’m using it together with a photo I took today during our walk through a picture-perfect valley in the Julian Alps.

 

I didn't give up, I let go. How I came to terms with not having children

 

First of all, a very happy New Year to all my readers!

I came across a beautiful article on BBC News and wanted to share it with you.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgj8x7e12ko 

How I wish there had been more articles like this during the darkest years of my infertility!

 

PS:I had a lovely December, with plenty of long walks, including one around a beautiful alpine lake, as well as several New Year parties and get-togethers with friends and colleagues. It felt good to be able to truly enjoy December again.