What if the bravest thing on your fertility journey isn’t trying again, but pausing to honor what you’ve lost?
Picture this: It’s Memorial Day weekend. For many, it’s barbecues and backyard parties, but for former President Joe Biden, it’s a sacred anniversary—ten years since the passing of his son, Beau. In a recent ABC News clip, Biden steps up to the microphone, voice steady but eyes heavy, and shares—publicly and vulnerably—how he honors his son’s memory every single year.
If you’re here on Nestful, you probably know a thing or two about courage. Whether you’re navigating infertility, IVF, loss, or the rollercoaster of hope and heartbreak, the emotional marathon of building a family can feel like a one-person parade on a rainy day. And while society is (finally!) talking more openly about infertility, there’s still a giant, unspoken elephant in the room: grief.
Why Grief and Fertility Are Secretly BFFs
You might wonder, “What does honoring loss have to do with getting pregnant?” (or adopting, or finding your unique path to parenthood). Let’s open that loop: We’re told to “stay positive,” to “try again,” to “just relax”—as if keeping busy and moving forward will patch the hole where our losses reside.
But as Joe Biden showed us, healing isn’t just about moving on—it’s about holding space for what was. When he stands up each year to say Beau’s name, he’s gently spotlighting an emotional truth: Loss doesn’t disappear; it becomes part of our story. In the world of fertility, acknowledging our losses—pregnancies, possibilities, plans—doesn’t hold us back. It frees us to move forward with greater resilience.