{"id":515,"date":"2015-07-10T16:08:24","date_gmt":"2015-07-10T20:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/?p=515"},"modified":"2015-07-11T11:16:38","modified_gmt":"2015-07-11T15:16:38","slug":"unconditionally-mom-ltym","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/unconditionally-mom-ltym\/","title":{"rendered":"Unconditionally Mom&#8211;LTYM"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p><em>\u201cI raised my sons to be extraordinary, to see possibilities, not roadblocks.\u201d\u2014Vicky D\u2019Agostino, LTYM 2015<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe width=\"692\" height=\"389\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IVTVzZ08gq0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On a snowy February day I made a pivotal decision in my journey to becoming a bona fide storyteller.\u00a0 While stirring my grande pike\u2019s at Starbucks, I saw the poster announcing auditions for the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/listentoyourmothershow.com\/baltimore\/\">2015 Listen To Your Mother Baltimore Show<\/a> \u00a0to be performed on\u00a0 May 9. <a href=\"http:\/\/listentoyourmothershow.com\/\">Listen To Your Mother<\/a> (LTYM) &#8220;features live readings by local writers on the beauty, the beast, and the barely-rested of motherhood, in celebration of Mother\u2019s Day in over 40 cities across the U.S.&#8221; \u00a0I auditioned&#8230;drum roll &#8230;\u00a0I was in! Part of a\u00a0posse of cast sisters who share the common bonds of motherhood&#8211;as in we have mothers, are mothers, do not or do want to be mothers.<\/p>\n<p>Through rehearsals I came to know these fine women in a very intimate reveal of our souls. It was <a href=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM-glamour-gals.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-519\" src=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM-glamour-gals-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"View More: http:\/\/jensnyder.pass.us\/ltym\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>amazing how quickly the walls came down and the hugs flew as one by one, we listened with awe, empathy, tears and laughter at our stories. We are\u00a0a vibrant, collective voice of our intensely beautiful, poignant experiences of mothering&#8217;s joys and struggles.\u00a0Some of our stories are gut wrenching. Some are hilarious. Some are both.<\/p>\n<p>On the BIG DAY, our families and friends sat in the\u00a0auditorium waiting eagerly for our shining star moment. There were plenty of laughs pre-show as we gals gussied up in the dressing <a href=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM099-circle-sisters.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-522\" src=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM099-circle-sisters-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"View More: http:\/\/jensnyder.pass.us\/ltym\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>rooms. Lovely producers Taya and Arlene kept us focused and pumped up. Arlene gave us a most special blessing as we held hands in a circle of love that our words would find root in the hearts of our audience who most needed them.<\/p>\n<p>When my turn came at the podium, I was uber-emotional since my sons were in the audience with my darling husband, future son-in-law and good\u00a0friends. It was the first time I publically shared Adam and Alex\u2019s coming out story. It is at turns raw, honest and funny. I got through it forgetting everything I\u2019d learned about public speaking\/performing. But that didn\u2019t matter because it is my love story for my boys. Momma Bear on the scene, tender heart and all.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM-Victory.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-520 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM-Victory-e1436556146498-1024x450.jpg\" alt=\"View More: http:\/\/jensnyder.pass.us\/ltym\" width=\"692\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM-Victory-e1436556146498-1024x450.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM-Victory-e1436556146498-300x132.jpg 300w, http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM-Victory-e1436556146498.jpg 1188w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><\/a>With the utmost respect and love, thank you to my LTYM 2015 cast sisters Heather Pulliam Belcher, Elisabeth Budd-Brown, Lisa Brown, Kim Fossum, Heather Leah Huddleston, Laura Ivey, Arlene Jackson, Taya Dunn Johnson, Taylor King, Kristi Koumentakos, Anne Mathay, Katie McLaughlin, Michelle Reale-Opalesky and Michelle Smith. Special thanks to <a href=\"http:\/\/annimig.com\/\">LTYM <u>founder<\/u> Ann Imig<\/a> for your brilliance and passion to create an organization that gives motherhood a voice. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jensnyderphoto.com\/\">Jen Snyder<\/a>, thanks for your keen eye and elegant photography that captured our day for eternity. You women lift me up with your bravery, grace, wit, wisdom and compassion. I treasure each of you!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM172-VAD-love-you-e1436557820992.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-523\" src=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM172-VAD-love-you-e1436557820992-300x154.jpg\" alt=\"View More: http:\/\/jensnyder.pass.us\/ltym\" width=\"300\" height=\"154\" srcset=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM172-VAD-love-you-e1436557820992-300x154.jpg 300w, http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM172-VAD-love-you-e1436557820992-1024x525.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LTYM172-VAD-love-you-e1436557820992.jpg 1194w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>So here, for your viewing pleasure is our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL5oPQWgVdsDmoP1hpZphb4c615AXF1EWc\">90 minute show<\/a>. FYI, this show was\u00a0on May 9, prior\u00a0to our excellent U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s national decision on June 26 legalizing gay marriage<a href=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/lovewins\/\">\u2014#LoveWins!<\/a> I never doubted it for a minute.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"al2fb_like_button\"><div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n(function(d, s, id) {\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=394640850589002\";\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, \"script\", \"facebook-jssdk\"));\n<\/script>\n<fb:like href=\"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/unconditionally-mom-ltym\/\" layout=\"standard\" show_faces=\"true\" share=\"false\" width=\"450\" action=\"like\" font=\"arial\" colorscheme=\"light\" ref=\"AL2FB\"><\/fb:like><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI raised my sons to be extraordinary, to see possibilities, not roadblocks.\u201d\u2014Vicky D\u2019Agostino, LTYM 2015 On a snowy February day I made a pivotal decision in my journey to becoming a bona fide storyteller.\u00a0 While stirring my grande pike\u2019s at Starbucks, I saw the poster announcing auditions for the\u00a02015 Listen To Your Mother Baltimore Show [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[18],"tags":[66,72,71,69,26,13,55,21,22,70,31,29,19,20,44],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=515"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":549,"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515\/revisions\/549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lifelessonsfromoz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}