Wonderful Joy Ahead

In 2024, I became a mom for the first time. A title I had prayed to have for quite a while, yet was uncertain I would ever get to have. Though I was living my answered prayer, and was so grateful, something was still so off. I felt anxious, I felt disassociated, and I felt guilty because I wasn’t sure what I was doing or what I “got myself into.” Something I felt so scared to admit because I had prayed for this, and cried out to God for a baby. I felt like I didn’t deserve to say that motherhood was hard. I felt so much shame. But I soon began to realize and accept that I had postpartum depression. A cloud that entered the hospital room when my daughter was born, and did not leave for over 12 months. I didn’t want to talk about it for a while, but eventually, I started to open up to my close circle of people. I knew that I wasn’t alone, and that other mothers who have gone before me have also struggled with similar battles of postpartum depression or anxiety. God was already working through all of the details, and I didn’t even know what was ahead. Throughout 2025, the Lord was helping me process even the deepest emotions about my motherhood journey through writing poetry. I knew that if I could write, He would use my story to help even one other mom feel seen and heard and loved. I knew that my feelings as a woman with postpartum depression were not just my own, and I knew that God had a purpose for it all. On September 23rd 2025, I finished writing, and on December 22nd 2025, I officially published my poetry book on Amazon. The book is called,” Wonderful Joy Ahead: A collection of poetry through a postpartum journey.” It is my hope and prayer that many women can have this book as a source of comfort through the challenges of motherhood. Whether that be infertility, pregnancy challenges, postpartum depression, or toddlerhood. Jesus helped me through postpartum depression through writing, and I am grateful to share my story with others. If you’re going through or have gone through postpartum depression, I want to invite you to open your circle. There is a postpartum moms group here at Grace that I have been attending. We meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month in room 10. God knew I needed a group like this to not only support me and celebrate me in the joys of life, but also to listen and to carry me through some really hard moments of motherhood. That’s what we all need as mothers. A place to just be, and welcome space for celebration or tears without judgement. It’s a blessing to encourage one another in this season that can be so isolating and hard for so many moms. Feeling very grateful.  

Kalyn Bentley 
[email protected]
Link to book: https://a.co/d/iI6TQpg