We often expect life’s major moments to feel a certain way. That pregnancy will feel exciting. That the birth of a child will feel joyful. That early motherhood, while challenging, will feel meaningful in a way that makes sense. But sometimes, life doesn’t separate these experiences so cleanly. Sometimes, joy and grief arrive at the same time. One month before my daughter was born, I lost my father. His mental and physical decline had been happening alongside my pregnancy — t