I love this poem because it rings so true to how I have felt throughout my journey:

THESE SHOES I WEAR

I AM WEARING A PAIR OF SHOES, THEY ARE UGLY SHOES,

UNCOMFORTABLE SHOES, I HATE MY SHOES.

EACH DAY I WEAR THEM, AND EACH DAY I WISH I HAD ANOTHER PAIR,

SOME DAYS MY SHOES HURT SO BAD THAT I DON’T THINK I CAN TAKE

ANOTHER STEP IN THEM, YET I CONTINUE TO WEAR THEM.

I GET FUNNY LOOKS IN MY SHOES, THEY ARE LOOKS OF SYMPATHY,

I CAN TELL IN THEIR EYES THEY ARE GLAD THEY ARE MY SHOES AND

NOT THEIRS.  THEY NEVER TALK ABOUT MY SHOES , TO LEARN HOW

AWFUL MY SHOES ARE MIGHT MAKE THEM UNCOMFORTABLE.

TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THESE SHOES YOU MUST FIRST WALK IN THEM,

BUT, ONCE YOU PUT THEM ON, YOU CAN NEVER TAKE THEM OFF AGAIN.

I NOW REALIZE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WEARING THESE SHOES,

THERE ARE MANY PAIRS IN THE WORLD.

SOME WOMEN ARE LIKE ME AND ACHE DAILY AS THEY TRY TO WALK IN

THEM, SOME HAVE LEARNED HOW TO WALK IN THEM SO THEY DON’T

HURT QUITE AS MUCH.  SOME HAVE WORN THE SHOES SO LONG THAT

DAYS WILL GO BY BEFORE THEY THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY HURT.

NO WOMAN DESERVES TO WEAR THESE SHOES, YET BECAUSE OF THESE

SHOES I AM A STRONGER WOMAN. THESE SHOES HAVE GIVEN ME THE

STRENGTH TO FACE ANYTHING, THEY HAVE MADE ME WHO I AM TODAY.

I WILL FOREVER WALK IN THE SHOES ,

OF A MOTHER WHO HAS LOST A CHILD.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN……….