Finding Beauty in NICU: A Journey of Strength and Love

The Sacred Space

by Melissa Kirsch

This space I never once envisioned, or ever hoped to be,

This space I never dreamed of, holds my reality.

It’s where I first laid eyes on you, through tubing, leads and tears,

It’s where I learned I could be brave, you helped me face my fears.

This space holds your beginning,

Your strength amazes me.

The obstacles you’ve overcome, are awe-inspiring.

Some days this space holds broken hearts,

filled with defeat and despair,

On other days, this space inhabits

joy beyond compare.

This space I never once had dreamed of, or ever hoped to be,

Now holds my life’s most sacred moments,

The ones of you and me.

In this space, not one breath is taken for granted.

This space held overwhelming scenes full of fear and uncertainty, but also miraculous scenes displaying love, grace, and courage.

In this space, our bodies eventually stopped responding to the sensory overload of alarming machinery, the sanitary smells of the sterile environment, the sight of endless wires and tubes that enveloped your tiny body, as we fell in love with YOU more and more each day.

In this space we experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

In this space, we learned to accept that life isn’t perfect; it is a synthesis of heartbreak and beauty.

In this space we learned that grief and gratitude can indeed co-exist. Because of the bitter, the moments of sweetness tasted significantly sweeter.

In this space, I became a student of not only how to care for the special needs of my nicu baby, but this space also taught me some of life’s greatest lessons.

Over time, this space felt like home where some of life’s most sacred memories were taking place.