Depression has been a nearly life-time reality for my wife, Leah. It’s been a very present member of our relationship and the breaking point in our marriage. There were a variety of things we both had to sort through before becoming parents. Though we wanted to have a family, we waited 10 years into our marriage to begin.

Fear always lingered around the corner. How could a couple who filed for divorce 5 years ago, start a family? How could a person who was wrestled to the ground by police officers, for their own safety , be responsible for another being?

Here’s how: Letting go of pride. Not being afraid to admit the problems. Not being afraid to talk to family and friends. Not being afraid to get professional help. We spent so long fighting to walk this journey by ourselves. I wish we let go of that control a long time ago. It’s ok to not be ok and that’s made all the difference in parenthood.

On April 25th, we welcomed our 2nd child. Here’s a video of Leah’s reflections on that.