There are legions of us, I realized. The mothers who have broken babies, and spend the rest of our lives wondering if we should have spared them. And the mothers who have let their broken babies go, who look at our children and see instead the faces of the ones they never met.

Summary

This quote is a poignant reflection on the shared experience of mothers who have either decided to end the lives of their children with disabilities or have chosen to let them go through a loss. It highlights the emotional weight carried by these mothers who will forever question their choices and wonder about the alternate paths their children might have taken. The quote recognizes the existence of a collective group of women who, despite their different decisions, bear the immense burden of grief and guilt, as they each grapple with the haunting presence of their unrealized offspring.

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