At night they lay on hard beds without pillows and, behind their closed eyelids, their unsettled thoughts ran in opposite directions.

NEWYORKER: In the South

For weeks after, that first image of my beautiful son as he emerged -- eyes closed, still, so pure in his newness -- was emblazoned on the inside of my eyelids.

CNN: Delivering my son: 'Breathe, baby, breathe!'