We are excited to share with you a guest blog post from Lori Shandle-Fox, author of the blog Laughing IS Conceivable. Lori was a professional stand-up comic for about fifteen years and also struggled with infertility. We love that she is bringing her passion for humor to help women struggling with infertility. We love her approach, as she says, “There’s plenty of belief even within the mainstream medical community these days in the power of a peaceful, relaxed mind to straighten out some of the things which go awry in our bodies: The connection between a tranquil, happy mind and the body’s ability to heal itself and do what it’s supposed to: Even to get pregnant. If my blog can help with that, fantastic! I just would love for you personally to feel that every single day you have at least one place to go where someone is going to reach down with thumb and forefinger and (attempt to) physically yank you out of that stinking bubble. Hopefully, our five minutes together will make your daily trials ever so slightly more bearable.”
So please enjoy this special post and be sure to visit her blog Laughing IS Conceivable for more fun tomorrow!
Get Through the Holidays…Any Way You Can
By Lori Shandle-Fox
Let’s face it: A lot of people are uncomfortable during the holidays. And many people dread going to holiday parties: Infertile people definitely included.
In my opinion, the only thing worse than going to a holiday party with all of your relatives is going to a holiday party with some of your relatives… and their friends.
The problem is that when your relatives breed, they start to hang around with others who do too. It’s bad enough when you have old aunts and uncles prying their way into your uterus. But they feel like they have the right to. There’s a sense of entitlement. They know you. “I used to change your diaper!”
How many people changed my diaper for crying out loud?! If you add them all up, I must not have been toilet trained until third grade. You’d think I’d remember something like that. Maybe it will come out in therapy one day.
Anyway… So these diaper changer relatives think because they knew you before you could wipe yourself, they have the license to ask you whatever.
But it’s a two-way street. They can be open, honest, and indiscreet to me, and I can be rude, obnoxious, and insulting to them. It’s how we show love.
Aunt: “So when are you going to start your new family already?’
Me: “Soon I hope. This old one’s had it.”
Attending a party at your sister-in-law’s house in suburbia with her friends whom you don’t know, is a whole ‘nother story.
It’s like an Abbott and Costello routine with yawns in place of laughs.
“Hi I’m “Whoever” from across the street. Do you live nearby? What kind of work do you do? That’s interesting. Do you like it? What kind of work does your husband do? That’s interesting. Does he like it? Do you have kids? Oh.”
“Hi I’m “Whatever” from across the street. No, I’m not in the first house on the block. “Whoever” is the first house on the block. I’m the second. Do you live nearby? What kind of work do you do? That’s interesting. Do you like it? What kind of work does your husband do? That’s interesting. Does he like it? Do you have kids? Oh.”
“Hi I’m “Wherever” from across the street.
Me: “Whoever”
“‘Whoever’ is the first house on the block. I’m the third house on the block.
Me: “Whatever”
“‘Whatever’ is the second house on the block. She’s my neighbor. Do you live nearby? What kind of work do you? That’s interesting. Do you like it? What does your husband do? That’s interesting . Does he like it? Do you have kids? Oh.”
Of course you can’t help being a little depressed (maybe a little more than just a little) that these people have nothing else to say to you once they find out you don’t have kids. Think of it this way: This may be the only time when not having kids actually saved your life: It kept you from dying of boredom. And that is quite the bright side.
Visit Lori’s blog at http://laughingisconceivable.com.
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