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Today\'s episode is a solo episode as I\'m sharing my personal infertility journey with you all. \\xa0I share why I\'m choosing to go through IVF to retrieve eggs and freeze embryos for a future gestational surrogacy, and why I\'m still team Surrogacy vs. team Adoption.\\xa0 In this episode I talk about my first year podcasting and what I\'ve learned about myself and this amazing Sisters in Loss community.\\xa0Thank you all so much for listening to this podcast and the evolution of it this past year.\\xa0 I committed to myself to release an episode every week for at least a year and I made it here!\\xa0 Thank you Lord for grace upon grace upon grace for reaching this goal.\\xa0 Now, if you have never rated or reviewed the podcast please do so wherever you listen to podcasts that would bless me in my first year as a Indie podcast.

Thank you all so much for listening to this podcast over the last year.\\xa0 After 1 year, 55 episodes, a podcast name change, a growing community on Facebook and Instagram, and over 10,000 downloads later we are here.\\xa0 What have I learned from this year being a podcaster?\\xa0 Sisterhood is a real thing.\\xa0 And that community and being in relationship online and offline is EVERYTHING!\\xa0 I have made so many new friends this past year.\\xa0 I was definitely on that "No New Friends" cue Drake kick especially in my 30s.\\xa0 I was just tired of investing into friendships that were surface and wanted to go deeper with friendships, even those who are close to me.\\xa0 I realized in my grief and healing journey that I build walls up around people and there are very few people that I\'m vulnerable to because I was afraid I would lose them.\\xa0 I allowed myself this year to be open and honest with myself first about the pain I was experiencing and I had to forgive myself.\\xa0 Then I was able to be open and honest with those closest around me and not think twice about sharing my heart and being vulnerable.\\xa0 Because vulnerability is a sign of strength and courage.\\xa0 I believe I cultivated deeper relationships with my mom and my sister, friends I have had for years, strengthened my marriage (because marriage is a constant dying of oneself), and made a new group of good girlfriends.\\xa0 Shout out to my circle of Angel Sisters,\\xa0many of whom I interviewed on this podcast.\\xa0 I reached out, we connected online, and in person,\\xa0and our group chats are LIT literally cheering, praying, encouraging, rooting for each other every step of the way.\\xa0 I\'m so blessed by the relationships I have cultivated from this podcast.\\xa0 It is my hope and prayer that we all develop meaningful, purposeful, vulnerable relationships with women that are deeper than just surface.\\xa0\\xa0Brene Brown say\'s it best in her book Rising Strong "Vulneralbility is the best measure of courage."\\xa0The willingness to show up and be present and be brave in a time of tragedy and grief.

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