Imagine you are married to the love of your life. Imagine you have a beautiful child together. Now imagine that the doctor tells you the worse possible thing a parent could hear, "Your child has a fatal, incurable disease that will soon take his life." And just when you think it couldn't get any worse, you are told that the genetic combination of BOTH you and your husband are to blame.

Emma and Noah lost their son, Joey, 3 years ago and Emma has been unable to move from the pain and guilt she carries over their loss. The fact that she was an unknown carrier of a rare genetic disorder (stemming from those of Jewish descent) that can only manifest its lethal disease to the living when paired with a mate who carries the same gene is hard enough to swallow. But to the best of her knowledge and her mother, there is no Jewish background in their family. Emma now struggles with unanswered questions and the knowledge that she and her husband can never have children without the fear of losing them in the same manner as Joey.

I was quite busy at the time of reading this and should probably have set it aside until I could give it the proper time to digest the story in a timely manner. Instead, I read it in short installments and fear I missed the power of the cohesive story of Emma and her family. Let it be said that the story revolves around Emma, the lost of her child and her recently deceased grandfather who, ironically, spent his life as an OBGYN helping mothers renew the circle of life.

I can't say the story left a lasting impression on me, but it was a pleasant read and makes one stop and ponder on what is important in your life vs. what others "think" is important. But if we live in fear and regret and choose to hide our heads in the sand to avoid pain, we will miss the beauty of each new day and never find ourselves standing in the solitude of the moment where the sweet bird sings.