As a father of three girls, I had a pull and an aversion to reading your post. I’m so glad I didn’t resist it. It hit me straight in the gut and in the heart. With every photo that appeared in your post, I envisioned my girls at that age. It’s heartwrenching. I could see the life and vibrancy she had because I see it in my kids, too.

And I feel your pain, even though I’ve not walked the path you do. If you’d told me about your daughter, as you walked in Target or waited in line at the bank or wherever, I would have stopped, stepped aside, and heard you. Because I feel like I was meant to read this, and I would have been meant to run into you that day. I would have listened as long as you needed and given you a huge hug if it was welcome.

I’m following you now and hope to read more about Ana and about other things you write about because I hear you. I’m glad I clicked the link. I knew it would be painful but I also suspected it’d change me. And it did.