“Throughout the years of my life as a young mother, I questioned who I was as an individual. When I turned thirty, I realized I became an accidental stay at home mom. This wasn’t my plan, but with my husband deployed in the Middle East, it was difficult to keep a job or further my college education without having to leave several times when my children were ill. I went with what worked best for my family and put my dreams on hold. A few years later we moved and I finally got around to hanging up my husband’s medals and military awards. I stared at his “wall of fame” and focused on why I didn’t have something to showcase anything great that I had done in my life. All the what-if’s cross my mind and again I started to question who I was. When I gave birth to my fourth child at home, I finally felt a positive shift. With the help of a brilliant midwife and doula, I had the courage to free my mind from the negative way the media tells us how to experience birth. This time my husband was home to support my dream and I felt empowered knowing he had full faith in me. Practicing self-hypnosis allowed me to surrender to my higher power and be comforted by His presence. My peaceful water birth played out the way I imagined it. I gave life to my son fully conscious of what was happening with my body and I did it with a smile. It was a powerful feeling that still lingers with me. Comparing myself to the outside world was no longer important and what truly mattered was my family. I embraced motherhood and realized that being a parent is truly the most important job in the world and my children are my medals of honor.”