There are times in life when fear settles so heavily on your back that simply staying upright feels impossible.
In one of those moments—when heartbreak and uncertainty had left
me unable to form a sentence—a small,
quiet gesture of compassion shifted everything.
It happened on the day my son arrived far too soon.
What should have been the happiest of beginnings dissolved into a storm of alarms,
urgent voices, and choices I never imagined having to make.
My wife faced serious complications during labor,
and while the medical team worked to help her,
our tiny newborn
was rushed to the NICU,
fighting for
each delicate breath.
I could feel
myself coming apart.
I remember
collapsing against the hallway wall,
drained and overwhelmed
. That was when
an older nurse knelt beside me,
wrapped a comforting
arm around my shoulders,
and offered the words
I didn’t yet realize I needed to hear.
