Passion is on my mind alot lately. What's your passion and how do you express it? Did you touch it when you gave birth? Do you want to touch it for your next birth (whether it be a baby, a project, or a transition)?
BOLD is full of passion these days. Our performances are raising more money than ever for important groups and organizations that are helping pregnant moms have empowered birth experiences. Waa-hoo to that!
And I'm full of passion too lately. Read all about my new passion project - a Certification program for Birth Workers ready to change the culture of birth, in my recent blog post, "Touching that Empowered Place." (Join me to hear more on a free info call about the program this Thursday. You can register at http://feartofreedom.eventbrite.com)
My wish for you is to find that passion, keep touching it, and pass it on. This is what shifts our culture.
Happy Spring...and almost summer!
Warmly, Karen
A New Story in BIRTH?
Karen with the REAL Sandy and her husband Ralph!
From Karen's BOLD Blog:
I love being a mom, writer, and activist but most days I juggle the hats so many times I'm not sure who I am on any given hour. The past two days have been different. I'm in major writer mode...The result? A new story in the play BIRTH! I've been wanting to add this story for a while. What better way than to premiere the new story on BOLD's 5th anniversary - this Labor Day weekend!...
"What were the highlights? Our Vanessa's interpretation of "butt pain-writhing like a snake" (she was amazing!); the end of Natalie's birth story (I watched as faces went from joy when she felt her baby's hair to horror when she got cut); MONTY PYTHON!!! (that scene got lots of applause once it was done); the way we interpreted Sandy's birth (picture a football coach-come OB with a southern accent instructing Sandy to "open yer legs wiiiiider"-hilarious yet so sad); and my personal favourite: seeing a FULL HOUSE give a standing ovation (weeping included) to a group of amateur actors."
BOLD Muskoka's one-night performance raised $5,447 for three organizations: Kendall Pearson Resource Fund, Ghislaine Francoeur Fund, and Friends of Muskoka Midwives.
BOLD Hamilton: Midwifery Students Sell Out
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"In being midwifery students we are all very passionate about helping women have a voice and a space to talk about childbirth. BIRTH gave us the opportunity to do this within our own community. We sold out both nights and were asked by our midwifery professors to do an encore performance because think more health science students, professors, women in the community and their families should see this play!"
All proceeds went to the Women's Center of Hamilton.
BOLD Fort Worth: Red Tent, and More!
A mom reflects on her experience:
I have to be honest. I didn't think the birth stories would effect me. I didn't think that I would get emotional. I have heard a lot of birth stories, and I thought I would just come and go and not think a whole lot of it. While I was waiting for my henna tattoo, I sat down to nurse my baby. A mother took the stage and started speaking. Her voice was already cracking and I knew I was in for it. There was no way that I would be able to listen to her without shedding a tear. Her story touched me because it was an awful lot like mine. She had ended up with 3 unwanted c/sections. She loved her babies and had accepted her births, but was still devastated at the loss of her chance at a vaginal birth. I managed to listen to the birth story without crying. Then she moved to the center of the room (right in front of me) and performed an interpretive dance. I held back tears until she dropped to the ground and paused. I saw her body start to shake. She put so much of herself and her raw pain into her performance that it touched me. I knew what she was feeling and I hurt with her. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't hold back anymore.
And check out a birth story from their event on YouTube.
BOLD Ellenville, New York
"The play evoked so many emotions and we are still getting feedback about how people were affected and how it impacts the work they do/will do. We had many of our Health and Human service agency providers attend who are members on our Wawarsing Council and who work with pregnant and/or parenting women/families."
All proceeds went to the Wawarsing Council of Agencies.
Respected Childbirth Week:
2 Performances and 1 Red Tent!
Next week the play will be performed in honor of Respected Childbirth Week in Lyon, France and Montreal, Canada. There will also be a BOLD Red Tent in Catalan, Spain! To the BOLD cast and crews: You ROCK!
Help BOLD raise awareness about VBACs and cesareans this September - be one of the first communities to organize a performance of the new BIRTH script which will now include a VBAC! (see story "A New Birth Story?" above). It's our 5th anniversary this Labor Day! Be a part of the BOLD movement to make maternity care mother-friendly.
Check out our website for how to organize a BOLD performance - big or small - in your community!
In the World: Get involved in the"Every Woman, Every Child" global effort! We now have an opportunity to achieve real, lasting progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) because global leaders increasingly recognize that the health of women and children is the key to progress on all development goals.
