My documentarian skills are dribbling away into nothing in the face of full-fledged elementary school schedules, show production, PTG meetings, and late night bathroom cleaning. I’m never grumpier than when I’m scrubbing toilets at 10:30 p.m.
Listen to Your Mother Spokane was pure, happy-happy, joy-joy magic once again. Our third year together. Elise and I had less stress, less last minute panicking, more confidence and more fun.
We met these thirteen incredible women.
(Gorgeous photography by Kristina Mattson)
We listened.
We rehearsed.
We signed.
We worshiped Phaedra, stage manager extraordinaire, and Tony, the keeper of all things technical at The Bing Crosby Theater.
We fell in love with words.
“Listen to the one who knew your worth before she knew your face.” — Sara Smith, Behind the Words
“So, I had a starring role in this cascade of filth and mortification, and felt its bite for decades. My mother loved me, sure, but I also knew there was a back story.” — Rebecca Mack, Back Story
“I spent my 20s avoiding baby showers the way most people would avoid a nasty stomach virus.” — Becky Ammerman, Joining the Cult
“Remind those telling you television is evil that your kids were formula-fed, so they were doomed anyway. … Try to be the person you want to be, and know that the kids will be alright.” — Caroline Fowler, Three Ways to Have a Baby
“The night comes. Mothers get up and go to their children. … It never stops being important. But it is more than that. Sometimes it feels like life and death and mothers help us choose life.” — Jennifer Knickerbocker, Nighttime Mothering
“The hardest thing? By far the hardest thing is learning to live without him.” — Kathryn Bonnett, It IS Hard
“There is a crossroad in grief. A point in which you can turn into fear, what ifs, and why me’s?” — Mery Smith, The Upside of Down
“Columbus discovered America whilst searching for India. And I? I discovered that my eleven year-old daughter is becoming a woman whilst searching for kitty litter.” — Rose Weagant, Unexpected Discoveries
“No I could not have children, but I can bless them. I can name them. And I will.” — Becky Nappi, Blessing the Babies
“I thought it would happen instantly and my identity would change from childless to mom overnight. Instead, my identity shifted from childless to infertile.” — Gretchen Cleveland, First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage
“Yet, even though I don’t know what the future brings, I know this: Janie deserves nothing less than all of the love my heart has to give, and I will not withhold any of it from her for my own sake.” — Terra Price, From Momish to Mom
“In our society we call girls like Eliza tomboys. As her mother I can tell you that most days she would simply prefer — boy. Even half, half seems like a compromise.” — Jennifer Savage, Half Half
“Sometimes, I think, as Mother’s we believe everything needs our strength and doing. And sometimes it absolutely does. Being a Mother is not for cowards. Still, we are not the last word on our lives.” — Karlene Arguinchona, A Way Through the Unknown
We were nervous as all hell.
And then we put on a hell of a show.
Photography credit – Nick Follger of Follger Photography
Everyone should experience a standing ovation from the stage at least once in their lives. Elise and I are unbelievably grateful to our cast, volunteers, and sponsors, to Ann Imig and the whole 24-city LTYM team, and to our audience for making this one happen.
P.S. I’m pretty grateful to this little crew too. For my show day flower delivery and for making my life not boring. Without them, I’d be missing the “mother” in Listen To Your Mother.
