About Better a Pearl with a Flaw
Finding Beauty in Life’s Imperfections
Better a Pearl with a Flaw is a community dedicated to resilience, faith, and healing. Founded by Amber, we explore the journey of finding purpose through life’s “flaws”—including living with vision loss (enucleation), navigating a geriatric pregnancy journey, and rediscovering self-worth through the grace of God.
My Story: From Loss to Resilience
Many of us carry hidden scars. My journey into “the pearl with a flaw” began at age 16 following a life-altering car accident. The injury left me blind in one eye, and for 11 painful years, I fought to hold onto it. Eventually, I made the difficult decision to have my eye removed and transitioned to a prosthetic.
During that season, I felt lost. I was a workaholic in a job I hated, struggling with low self-esteem and a lack of direction. It was then that my mother shared the wisdom that became the heartbeat of this site:
“Better a pearl with a flaw than a pebble with none.”
For a long time, I felt like my “flaws”—the physical scars and the invisible struggles—made me less than others. But I’ve come to realize that while a pebble is smooth and “perfect,” it remains unchanged by the world. A pearl, however, is formed through grit and pressure.
Amber
I don’t believe having “flaws” makes a person more valuable than anyone else…
but I do believe those experiences don’t make us less. They simply forge a different kind of strength, a resilience that can only be found in the chapters of life we never would have chosen for ourselves.
Navigating Faith, Family, and Geriatric Pregnancy
With the grace of God, I eventually found my way out of those darker years. I found a church home where I felt truly seen, a career that fulfilled me, and I met my husband. We checked off the milestones we had dreamed of—buying our home and getting married in 2020. At the time, we didn’t imagine that growing our family would be our next great lesson in patience and surrender.
Having seen the women in my family conceive without difficulty, I hadn’t prepared for the challenges of starting a family at 38. In the medical world, this is labeled a “geriatric pregnancy.” Two years later, that term still carries a bit of a sting, but it has also taught me to let go of my own timelines.
Navigating infertility and a high-risk journey at 40 can feel incredibly lonely, even with a supportive family by your side. It’s a road marked by fear and uncertainty, but it’s also where I’ve had to lean most heavily on my faith. Whether you are walking through a geriatric pregnancy, facing infertility after 35, or simply waiting for a prayer to be answered, I want you to know that your value isn’t tied to the ease of your journey. We are all learning to find peace in the “waiting rooms” of life.
Why am I Sharing This Journey?
I believe our experiences are only useful if they can help someone else. Whether you need someone to:
- Pray with during a difficult season
- Talk to about vision loss or prosthetic eye recovery
- Laugh or cry with through the ups and downs of motherhood
I invite you to reach out. I am starting here, documenting the flaws and the beauty, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us together.