Because I lost my first child to stillbirth, and because no one warned me of the dangers in advance, I am active today in pregnancy communities. I am committed to providing the information that was never provided to me. And oddly, one of the most common responses I receive in return is that I need to “think positive”. This is why that’s odd:
I was literally the most positive person possible when I was pregnant with my first child. I told friends very early. I hired a doula at 6 weeks. I wrote letters to my son throughout my pregnancy, and I made plans for my life with him. It literally never entered my mind that anything could go seriously wrong…And then he died.
And one of the things I’ve learned from that experience is that positivity is not a cure-all. Because I promise you, it was not possible to have been more positive than I was, and it didn’t prevent this tragedy. What it did prevent was any kind of preparation for the fact that tragedy often happens.
Related: Graphics Blog: Refusing to Talk about Death; Death Isn’t Rumpelstiltskin
So no, I will not focus on just the positive. That’s not realistic. And one of the worst parts of my experience was that in only thinking positive, I was unprepared for what’s real. And to me, that’s more important. Because reality happens, whether you are prepared or not.
I can tell you firsthand, I am positive of that.
Related Posts:
Graphics Blog: Positivity is choice, and not one you can make for other people
Downloadable graphics for “The Problem with Positivity”:
