The Day I Found Out My Unmarried Son Was Going to Be a Father

The in and out rhythm of his breathing calmed me like a lullaby. Centered and quiet, as if he and I were the only two in the world. His eyelids fluttered periodically with REM-inspired visions, only he was privy to. The weight of his body in my arms evoked feelings of unworthiness in a way I hadn’t experienced since the early days of parenthood. A time when I vacillated between wonder and weariness as I bumped along this new road called motherhood.

Though I now face a similar unfamiliar road,...