Hi there. My name is Sarah Main. I’m a wife, a mother, and a writer. I’d like to tell you all about myself, but in the immediate aftermath of loss (at the time of writing, we are about six weeks out), it feels difficult to describe myself in a big-picture sort of way. So instead, at least for now, here are a few small tidbits about me:
I have two degrees in English, and I knew from the time I was in eighth grade that I wanted to be a writer. Winter is my favorite season, and I look forward to Christmas all year long. I listen to Taylor Swift’s music almost exclusively, I’m left-handed, and I despise the taste of mango. Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite dessert. I don’t understand the mechanics of the windshield wipers in my car, no matter how hard I try. I believe that one should start every morning with a cup full of hot coffee and a room full of peaceful quiet.
I’d like to also tell you a little bit about my daughter, Eleanora, since she is such a huge part of me and the reason I’ve created this blog. She was born on June 10, 2021 at 8:36 a.m. She was seven pounds, one-and-a-half ounces, and twenty-one inches long. She had a full head of dark curls to match mine, as well as my lips and nose. She had her father’s eyes and his eyelashes. She was a morning person like her Papa, too. The moment the sun came up, she was ready to go—kicking and squirming. She was all about spaghetti, any and all tomato-based sauces, decaf iced Americanos with sweet cream from Starbucks, and any strawberry beverage, especially strawberry lemonade. She loved dance parties with Mama, and listening to Papa read stories. On a visit to Chicago, Daniel bought her a copy of Corduroy, and it quickly became her favorite. Her most-loved song was “You Are In Love” by Taylor Swift, and she always enjoyed listening to a room full of people talk. I like to say that, out of her two introverted parents, came a total extrovert. She was, and is, an absolute joy to all who knew her.
Eleanora’s middle name, James, is my father’s first. Her first name came to us early in my pregnancy out of the blue. Daniel loved Eleanora, and I loved Nora for short. When we met her, we knew she was, without a doubt, Eleanora. A dear friend told us that her name means “God is my candle; God is my light.”
Even though our dear Eleanora isn’t physically here with us, she visits us often, in baby sparrows, in eucalyptus and yellow roses, and in rays of dancing sunshine.