Sarah Gutekunst, mother of Summer 2023 intern London Gutekunst
“Your dad and I had only been married for a year when we found out that we were pregnant with you. Our income for that year was close to $20,000. Your dad waited tables and I was in graduate school. Needless to say, we were anxious about parenting. The first six weeks of your life, you cried inconsolably for four hours a night. I also felt very insecure as a young mom, as none of my friends had children. Most of them weren’t even married. I felt I had to prove myself, in a way. Then, one day, when you were about a year and a half, I decided to take you to the library and the park. You had on a red and white polka dot dress and sunglasses, and I could tell that you felt very grown up. As you were swinging, you looked at me and smiled. In that moment, I could tell you were enjoying yourself, and I realized that I, too, felt happy. I was having a special moment with my little girl, who I loved, and who loved me. Everything was going to be okay.”
