Dear Resilient Beauty: Look How Far You’ve Come

Dear Resilient Beauty,

There was a version of you who walked into the NICU not knowing exactly what the days ahead would bring. Maybe you had spent months preparing for motherhood, imagining what it would feel like to bring your baby home, only to find yourself sitting beside a hospital bed instead. Maybe you didn't know what questions to ask, what every monitor meant, or how long you would be there. You simply knew that your baby needed you, and somehow, you figured out how to show up.

The NICU can introduce a mother to a side of herself she never expected to meet. You learn how to speak up, ask questions, celebrate small victories, and appreciate moments that might have seemed ordinary before. A feeding that went well could feel like a major accomplishment. A little weight gain could bring relief. Holding your baby could become one of the most anticipated moments of your day. You learned to find hope in small things, even when the bigger picture was uncertain.

And then, one day, you left. You brought your baby home. The monitors were gone. The hospital routines changed. The nurses who had become familiar faces were no longer there every day. Life began to look different, but you were different, too. You had experienced something that changed the way you saw motherhood, your child, and yourself.

Now, look at where you are.

Maybe your baby is running through the house, starting school, celebrating birthdays, learning new words, or reaching milestones that once felt so far away. Maybe life has become wonderfully ordinary in ways you once wished for. You may still remember the NICU days, but your life is no longer centered around them.

That is worth recognizing.

We often celebrate the progress of NICU babies, and rightfully so. But during NICU Awareness Month, we also want to celebrate the mothers who were growing alongside them. The mothers who learned to advocate. The mothers who waited. The mothers who prayed. The mothers who cried and kept going. The mothers who had to find their footing in a version of motherhood they never expected. You deserve to recognize your own progress, too.

The NICU may always be part of your story, but it does not have to be the whole story. There are birthdays, family traditions, school pictures, vacations, laughter, bedtime routines, messy kitchens, silly moments, and countless memories that have nothing to do with hospital rooms. There is a whole life that came after the NICU, and you get to live it.

That is one of the reasons this year's Walkathon Challenge matters. During September, Resilient Beauties is encouraging women to make time for movement, hydration, faith, prayer, and themselves. The goal isn't perfection. It isn't about how fast you walk or how many miles you can complete. It's about creating a little space in your day to take care of the woman who has spent so much time taking care of everyone else.

So take the walk. Drink your water. Spend those fifteen minutes with God. Pray for NICU moms and families. Invite someone to walk with you. And while you do, take a moment to recognize the woman you are today.

You don't have to forget the NICU to appreciate how far you've come. You don't have to pretend that it was easy to celebrate what came after it. You can remember the difficult days while being grateful for the days you're living now.

Dear Resilient Beauty, take a moment to look at your baby. Look at your life. Look at yourself.

Look how far you've come.

With love,

Resilient Beauties