|  Blog Post   |  I will tell my story, sharing my three, every time.

I will tell my story, sharing my three, every time.

Eleven.

“Thank you for sharing your story.

Us too.”

Followed by their story of infertility and loss….

They’d be 15.

We wanted more than one.

We lost three.

We struggled too and eventually adopted.

Fill in the blank with someone you love or work beside’s story.

Because 1 in 6 struggle to conceive.

1 in 4 pregnancies ends in loss.

And 1 in 160 pregnancies end with a child born still.

Infertility and loss affect someone you love or work beside.

For many of us, our journey to parenthood wasn’t what we hoped, dreamed, or planned.

And so I will tell my story, sharing my three, every time. Plus, I hope it helps you remember to choose empathy.

I tell it to honor them, to honor my motherhood, and to light the way out of the darkness of loss so we can walk it together.

Today marks what would have been the eleventh birthday of our last embryo.

Eleven years of wonders.

Eleven years of grief.

Eleven years of overwhelming love.

Eleven years of mothering them from afar.

Eleven years of holy awe of what these tiny beings that are my children, that we only held for a couple of weeks, and how far the love for them has reached.

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Author:

A Licensed Professional Counselor, Justine Froelker has over 25 years of experience in mental health, personal growth, and professional development. For eleven years, she was certified in Dr. Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability, courage, and empathy. Justine now shares her own curriculum, Courage is Built Here™. This transformative program empowers individuals to live and lead with self-awareness, authenticity, and resilience, building a foundation for courage-centered leadership. In addition to writing her blog since 2013, Justine is an accomplished author of twelve books—including five Amazon bestsellers—Justine has written across genres, from children’s books to in-depth explorations of infertility, faith, grief, and leadership. She has delivered two TEDx Talks, The Permission of the And and The Donut Effect, which highlight her unique perspective on navigating life’s complexities with grace. Justine is a sought-after speaker who travels nationally and presents virtually to global audiences, delivering keynotes, workshops, retreats, and trainings on topics such as leadership, resilience, mental health, coping with burnout, courageous and curious conversations, and fostering cultures of inclusion and belonging. Justine lives in St. Louis with her husband Chad and their three dogs. You’ll often find her volunteering at Wild Bird Rehabilitation—supporting the medical team and feeding hundreds of tiny, hungry babies during baby bird season. And during butterfly season, her home comes alive with the flutter of wings as she raises hundreds of monarch and swallowtail butterflies.

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