The Opposite of Certainty" by Janine Urbaniak Reid

LLP Week #231 “The Opposite of Certainty” by Janine Urbaniak Reid

In 1995, when my daughters were born three months early and were later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, everything changed for me. Some of those changes felt hard, but other moments were enlightening and uplifting. Whenever I meet another mother of a disabled child, it still, to this day, feels like meeting a friend in a dark cave. I want to know how they cope, manage, struggle and persevere. So that is why I took “The Opposite of Certainty” by Janine Urbaniak Reid to read recently, while I was on a beachy trip to the Russian River. I wanted to read another mother’s story about what it is like when your child faces a struggle with a disability or illness. The fact that this author lives in Marin County interested me even more. Reid belongs to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Marin City, where author Anne Lamott is also a member. In fact, Lamott wrote the foreword to this book and the two women are friends. “The Opposite of Certainty” is Reid’s account of her son Mason’s life after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Along with her husband Alan, and siblings Austin and Sarah, Reid wages a reluctant journey into the world of cancer, chemotherapy, MRIs, rehab facilities accompanied by a maze of insurance claims. I found her writing beautiful and her story heartbreaking because of the way she shares her fears and hopes for Mason with such honesty. In an interview with Lamott, Reid explained, “Writing and living the story, I began to recognize the improbable good that shows up, and notice the strength I’m able to tap, especially when I’m exhausted and it all feels like too much.” In these uncertain Covid times, it is important to remember how to tap into your strength whenever possible, and read stories written by those still waging that daily battle. To buy this book on Amazon click here.