In one convulsive second, when the crying infant still tethered to her by an umbilical cord was placed on her stomach, all her ‘befores‘ dissolved.
The child catching grasshoppers in the tall grass at her grandmother’s farm, the teenager with a crush on one of her teachers, and the woman picking flowers for centerpieces on her wedding day, were gone.
When her brand-new daughter was brought to her, all clean, perfect, and ready to nurse, their eyes met.
“Hello, Ellen. I can’t wait to get to know you.” she whispered.
She had no doubt that a blessed transformation had taken place and her life, from that moment forward, would wholly be defined by ‘afters‘.
Sillyfrog's Blog 
Second sentence…movie quality montage, of the highest emotional value…
Thank-you! I’m thrilled that those images came to life for you. This story (even the daughter’s name and first words spoken to her) is my own. More evidence that writing our own stories down is a powerful experience. 😉
Thank you for trusting me with this share.
Don’t hang a pedantic sign on my neck, but in ancient Hellenic (what we now call as entertainment ) ψυχαγωγία was a briader term , a composite word meaning to cultivate the soul.
Yes, entertainment has its place…but to transform one’s true life experiences into an art form is ψυχαγωγία! 😉
DELIGHTFUL! Thanks for sharing.