Happy ending.

37 weeks…

If there is one word (albeit hyphenated) I would use to describe myself, it would be ‘non-traditional.’ Being a gestational carrier just perpetuates that description. And I kind of love not following the rules- after all, the best stories are those with a twist, right? Sometimes you simply have to write your own happy ending. Though creating a family is not exactly a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ story, you certainly do not have to settle for, and surrender to, the final chapter as yours was written for you.

As someone who has silently shouted ‘Plot twist‘ several times already in my own life (and will continue to do so), and being the type of person who doesn’t settle into any part of my story that has ceased to bring me happiness or fulfillment, I love being a small part of someone else taking ‘control’ of their own destiny. The book of life isn’t written in one single genre, beginning to end. If we are lucky, it will read like a fantasy with just enough mystery to keep us guessing, and a bit of comedy to get us laughing again when drama and tragedy inevitably make an appearance. And sometimes- like when having a child on your own doesn’t seem to be the direction your story is headed- your fairy godmother appears to make your dreams come true in some sort of poetic-justice-meets-fairy-tale kind of way.

There are days early on in the process when being a gestational carrier reads like intense science fiction, and the gc plays the part of the person on whom the genetic experiments occur. When the parents of this baby recount to her the memoir of how she came to be, I hope it is absolutely EPIC. I don’t know how they will write me in, but it doesn’t really matter, I suppose. I’m honestly just extremely grateful to be part of the story at all. And as they close the chapter about a family of 3 and start the chapter about a family of 4, I will be there to make an appearance. Until then, stay tuned while my family grows another…