Thank you for another year of conversation, and courage, and women supporting women through postpartum depression and all other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
I hope each and every one of you have the best holiday season you can have. Even if it’s far from perfect, that’s just fine. You are here and you are loved and you will be okay. My son’s first Christmas, when I had postpartum OCD, was a total disaster. Not only was I sick and miserable, but the one Christmasy thing I had managed to do — get him a cute Christmas outfit to wear — was totally ruined in less than 10 minutes when he had the largest diaper blowout in the history of humankind. I can look back and laugh about it now.
Please be kind to yourself. Seek small moments of peace or happiness wherever you can find them.
Meantime, as everyone gets ready to head off on vacation, I want to thank you. I’m grateful for every guest post. I’m grateful for every comment. Thanks to those of you who have emailed me your gratitude.
I’m thankful to those of you who are part of our Warrior Moms Facebook community, and who interact with me on Twitter. Thanks to Amber for running the Warrior Moms Book Club. Thanks to Kate Kripke whose posts here this year are, I think, what made visiting the site worthwhile.
Thanks to those of you who have shared our postpartum depression resources with others. I’m especially grateful to all the therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, doulas, nurses, hospitals and birth-related organizations who encourage their patients and clients to check out Postpartum Progress.
And thanks to each and every one of you who is reading this right now who is anonymous and quiet but is nonetheless a Warrior Mom and an important part of our community. I’m so glad you found us.
Finally, I can’t thank enough all those people who donated this year to support the work of Postpartum Progress and keep this website fresh and modern and growing.
To hope and love and peace in 2013!!
~ Katherine
Photo credit: © Redshinestudio – Fotolia.com
Katherine – to you and your family I wish all the unconditional love and happiness in the world. Thank you for being the light in my darkness. Thank you for reminding me to be kind to myself and for allowing me to heal and forgive myself. Thank you to all the moms who couragously share their struggles so that we dont feel so alone. God bless you all. xxxxx
God bless, Dee. From Warrior Mom to another Warrior. We are beautiful, strong and capable. xxoo
Thank you so much Cristina – Yes we are these things and MORE xx Love Dee aka Motherhood is not for sissies 🙂
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. It was one heck of a year, and I’m so grateful I found this site. You and all the other Warrior Moms helped me through the scariest, darkest time of my life. But thanks to you all, I came out so much stronger. I’m so happy and grateful to be in a good place this season, six months ago I wasn’t sure how or where I would be. Eternally grateful, xoxo Adriana
…and God bless and keep Adriana. I couldn’t have said it any better myself. Man, we are all so united. An unbreakable bond and circle of the select women who were chosen to battle this darkness. I too will forever remember my days as the darkest and scariest. This place provided light and I am forever grateful to have found it. xxoo
Thank you Cristina, an unbreakable bond is so true. I’m so happy to hear your doing well. God bless you and your family, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year xo
Warrior Mom Solidarity!!!!!
So glad you are doing well Adriana!!
I’m not quite sure just where I’d be without this site, that I check daily, and even more frequently most days. To say thank you is not enough. God bless and keep the faith always. Keep up the continued great work. It is much needed. xxxooo
Thank you so much for your encouragement, honesty and commitment to helping families through postpartum depression. There were many dark days when I read your posts and felt that I wasn’t alone and that I wasn’t crazy. After taking 9 months off work after severe late onset PPD, I’m happy to report that I’m feeling stronger and am returning to my career in January. I’m still anxious about what to “say” about my leave and am trying to overcome feelings of shame. So obviously the journey continues, however I feel like I’m better able to meet the challenge thanks to my doctors and other supporters like you. Thank you and God Bless you for all you do for mothers like me!
Thank YOU Steph! I’m so glad you are feeling stronger!!
Well, Katherine… Right back at you with all of those thanks. What a privilege it is to be a part of your work and the lives of so many mamas out there. Here’s to even more growth and change in 2013!