j. blythe ammons

The inspiration for No Room for Anna came when my children were ages two and newborn. I was driving home with both of my children crying in the backseat, all the while trying to assure them that we were nearly there. I felt like crying too, so I started to pray.

At that time in my life, when I should have been most joyous and thankful, I felt sad and depressed. I hardly slept or ate and I felt that motherhood was a mountain in front of me. I worried that my children would feel my anxiety.

When nearly home, I grabbed a napkin from the seat of the car and wrote notes as I pulled into the drive. I then shuffled the babies into the house, fed, changed and cuddled them. When they were happy, I deciphered my napkin notes and composed the story. I cried as I wrote the final page, because the message spoke to me.

We all have a place and a purpose in the world and though we go through seasons of difficulty, we can see beauty in each situation if we choose to. Now looking back I am grateful that I didn't miss a day with my babies. They grew up so fast.