My Unexpected Journey, My Surprising Joy

Barb Szyszkiewicz talks with Catholic Mom contributing writer about her recently published memoir about her adoption journey.

Nicole Johnson’s memoir about the adoption journey that led her and her husband Joe, already the parents of two young boys, to adopt a baby girl with Down syndrome, had an unexpected focus: the need for control. In My Unexpected Journey, My Surprising Joy, Nicole shares honestly about the anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder that led to her obsession with controlling every possible parenting outcome.  

This obsession grew worse over time, especially after three miscarriages. But that didn’t prevent Nicole and Joe from being able to adopt baby Mary, because Nicole was honest about her struggles and willing to do the hard work needed to overcome them.  

I love that My Unexpected Journey, My Surprising Joy focused on joy after anxiety and the level of commitment Nicole's husband showed throughout their times of trial and struggle. While this is ultimately an adoption story, I’d recommend this book just as easily to any mom struggling with anxiety (especially when she has very young children) and to moms who have experienced pregnancy loss as well as to women considering adopting a child. 

It’s lovely to have the chance to interview an author, particularly the author of a memoir. Here’s what Nicole and I discussed about her new book: 

I hope it won’t be a spoiler that the story ends with the adoption of your child. Why did you decide to stop telling the story there?   

Welcoming our daughter home felt like the right place to end (or pause!) the story, as I felt it was the ending of a chapter in my faith life and the beginning of an entirely new journey with renewed understanding of who God really is and just how powerful His work can be in our lives when we decide to "hand it over." God was so patient with me for so many years as I was insistent on playing tug-of-war with Him with the desire/need to have control over my life. Adopting our daughter was the ultimate surrender for both me and my husband—it was God finally pulling me across the line for good and me reveling in the freedom of letting go. It was also the beginning to a more challenging journey than I could have imagined—a journey that deserves a book all its own.  

Do you plan to tell more about your life as the mom of a child with Down syndrome in a future book?   

Yes! I have written much of it already in the many reflections I have penned throughout the past thirteen years. I am looking forward to piecing it all together in a future book that I hope will be a resource and ultimate inspiration for anyone blessed with a child with Down syndrome.   

[Author's note: You can find many of these pieces right here on CatholicMom.com.] 

You were very open about your struggles with anxiety and OCD. What do you hope your readers will learn from your story?   

I always say that God never intended us to walk this journey alone. I firmly believe the gift of community is in learning and growing with and from one another. We can't do that if we don't share. For me anyway, not talking about this very real struggle with anxiety and OCD, is a wasted opportunity to connect with others who are living the same cross and may think they are the only ones and feel alone and frightened (as I often did). I hope readers will learn how common this cross is, that they are not alone in carrying it and there is no shame in sharing what they are feeling. And I do hope readers realize that God wants them to ask for help and accept what they need to heal. 

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images: Canva
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