I got to think about the connection between mother and child. As life forms and begins, the fetus is sustained relying on the umbilical cord which transports nutrients and oxygenated blood from the mother's placenta to the baby. It seems we are all aware of this connection. What we fail to remember (or at least I did) is that this symbiotic (I'm totally unsure if this biological concept works here) relationship also helps the fetus rid of deoxygenated blood. It is a two- way street. My connection and relationship with Mia, my daughter, birthed the idea that the connection doesn't cease upon birth. Though no longer physically connected, Mia and I continue to sustain each other to some degree. I, as the provider of most tangible things, and Mia as the provider of all that is spiritual and emotional. It is Mia who provides me with the will to live and the strength to fight for my life. It is Mia who provides me with love, with comfort, with happiness. It is Mia's own strength which encourages me to move on. It is Mia's being that allows me to grow, and it is from Mia that I learn, even as I am preparing for my death. Unlike while in the womb, Mia's life does not physically rely on my existence, and when I expire, she will sustain (God willing). I hope that what I have given her throughout our lives together will help her thrive, flourish, prosper.