My mantra of the year is: Be my own best friend (even better than the previous years).
I wasn't really planning to have a mantra this year, but it kept popping up during a conversation I had with someone. I realize that I've learnt some things about being my own best friend, but there's always room for growth, no? :-D
And then I also found again this lovely video clip on the power of vulnerability, so I'm gonna share it here as well:
The other day I browsed through a Finnish forum on infertility 'coz I thought I'd also learn some Finnish that way. I found similar themes and expressions just like the kind of things I read in English IF blog posts.
However, there was one thing that really reminded me of the power of words. In one particular discussion, this person that started it was simply letting out some steam by writing about her jealousy and bitterness when she saw other women's bulging bellies.
Many other IFers empathized with this woman and they could relate to her, but there was one IFer who wrote something like this: "I've been infertile all my life, but I never experience that kind of bitterness and jealousy. I think that if you feel that bitter and jealous, you're not a good mother material anyway, so it's good that you don't have kids."
I don't understand why some people can write something like that, especially if they're having the same problem. Even if she didn't feel bitterness or jealousy didn't give her the right to say such a thing to ANYONE IMHO.
I honestly think that even if there are plenty of negative, dark emotions when dealing with IF, it's also a very valuable experience 'coz I get to personally feel what I might not have been able to fathom otherwise. Hopefully by having felt this mixture of emotions, I'll then be able to empathize with others even more when they experience a similar wave of emotion and at least make them feel that they're not alone and that they can survive through the ugliness.
