Northwestern Pilot | Spring 2018

Page 19

SECTION FEATURE

by

LINDSAY (MORK ’08) OSTROM

ne of the things I’ve heard most often from people is this: you’re so brave to share your story. I mean, now when I scroll back through those first few Instagram posts after Bjork and I lost Afton, I guess it makes sense. If I look at it from the perspective of a normal person, my status updates right after his birth were raw, intense, and unpolished—maybe that seems brave. But here’s a little secret: I am, in fact, not exceptionally brave. From the outside, I might just seem brave because from the moment Afton was born, I desperately wanted people to love him. That’s all. I continue to share his story not out of bravery but out of desperation for my son to be known and loved. It’s what any mom wants for her baby. It does not feel brave to share our messy, painful story of life and loss—it just feels like a different type of mothering. It’s a way to keep his life going, to keep him here with me, and maybe with other people too.

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