February 18, 2008

Colobloggers....what a fine group of ladies!

Just wanted to post quickly about how much I enjoyed meeting the women of the ColoBloggers on Saturday.

I was, and still am, astounded at the courage and empathy these women have. It was incredible to be among such a smart, kind, honest, brave, and funny group of women. I had a really good time and I kind of felt like I had found the "cool group". It felt really good to be there.

I have been thinking of how hard it often is for infertile women to find support, stories, and the information that they need. The dominant culture still seems to stigmatize infertility pretty intensely and the research and information available out there just seems incredibly slow in coming.

So, what is amazing to me is to see all of these women blogging in Colorado and all across the country about their experiences with infertility. They are bravely putting themselves out there, creating the support network that is so needed. This is truly the essence of social change. People moving to create in the world what is lacking, to benefit themselves and others.

I believe that the collective voice of all of these women telling their stories, reaching out to one another, removing the veil of secrecy and shame that has hidden this subject for so long, will eventually reach the larger culture as a whole. I believe that the willingness of these women to talk about this openly will help remove some of the stigma, will allow the larger culture to accept the reality of infertility, and maybe even lead to further research and study that will benefit infertile women and men in the future.

I believe that what these women are doing is significant. Not only for themselves, and those that they reach out to and support, but for the future women who will walk the same paths and ask the same questions, and cry the same tears. They are forging a path with their hearts, with their words, and with their honesty.

It is a deep honor to be among them and I am greatly humbled by what they have survived and what they continue to share of themselves.

You all inspire me. Thank you.

5 comments:

Lori Lavender Luz said...

I so enjoyed meeting you, SS, and hearing your unique viewpoint. Thanks for the thoughtful tribute.

Denise said...

What a wonderful post. You gave me goose bumps!

beautycourage said...

Wow, I wish I lived in Colorado! Thanks for checking in on my blog. I just read your last few posts, thank you so much for sharing. Good luck on your break- it's so hard to really take a break, but hopefully you will have some good days away from the IF rollercoaster. If it makes you feel any better, I know you are in great hands at CCRM!

Meg said...

This was very sweet. I am thrilled to have met you and to have bumped into you again!

HeidiM said...

Well said!! I agree 1000%. Thanks to you for forging a path with YOUR heart, with YOUR words, and with YOUR honesty.