LTYM Celebrates the Joys, Trials of Motherhood

The videos from the 2012 Listen To Your Mother production are now available! Relieve the emotions of that night or, for those who could not make the show, catch up with what you missed!

I’ll try not to get choked up,” smiled Stephanie Precourt, director and producer of the Listen to Your Mother show, held Thursday, May 10. Now in its second year in Northwest Indiana, residents from around the region packed out the Memorial Opera House to celebrate motherhood from a variety of viewpoints, through shared memories, fond reflections, and humorous stories.

This year’s cast featured 14 women of all ages, in various stages of life, speaking on the joys of new motherhood to the pain of the loss of a mother:

 

Beth Fletcher: It Is Well
Beth shared the extreme pain of losing her unborn twin baby boys and the moment when she realized that even though the loss was great, the twins were still very much a part of her life, bringing joy amidst the trials.

Megan Summers: Mom- There’s Not An App For That
Even though my kids are grown, I still get to play mom,” Megan smiled, as she spoke on the quick connection of cell phone chats with her kids, who still call her for advice and help.

Stephanie Hauser: Some Good Advice
Through experiencing the loss of her mother to cancer at age 53, Stephanie learned that “crying is a healthier way to go through the grieving process than keeping it inside,” and that there is such a thing as a healthy cry.

Katy Hoagland: I Survived
As a now 20-something independent woman, Katy spoke on growing up as a latch-key kid, growing up with a hard-working single mom, thanking her mother for fostering her strength as a woman.

June Saavedra: Secret Life of Moms
June delved into the difficulties of being the perfect mom and how using the swimming pool as a bath, letting the kids eat food that falls on the floor, going weeks (or months!) without changing the kids’ bedding, and other secrets of moms are nothing to be ashamed of.

Carrie Steinweg: Babies Don’t Keep
From a family of 6 and having 5 babies of her own, Carrie shared a poignant sentiment that there is only a small window of time to experience your kids before time passes and they are grown.

Heather Curlee Novak: Nightmare After Midnight
A mother of two, Heather is proud of her day-mothering, “bread-baking…playgroup mama, library mama” self but at night, the “she-rexasaurus” comes out when woken up by her babes more than once.

Brenda Magnetti Erickson: Just Wait Until You Have Your Own
You’ll have a child just like you and you’ll understand,” were words sung to Brenda by her mother as a child, a saying that has come true as Brenda often finds herself in a parenting role that requires care for others just like her.

Liz Self: My Fat Free Mother
Liz recited a moving story of a mother desperate to shield her child from her own insecurities, and the guilt that comes through her perceived failures.

Liz Chatwell: Growing Pains
A mother of two, with one in the age of hormones and changes, Liz reflected on how growing up is not only hard on the child, but also on the parent.

Jen Mitchell: A Gold Star
With 4 kids, including a set of triplets, and working as a nurse, Jen spoke on the recognition (or lack thereof) which comes from balancing work life and home life.

Alice Harrington: I Might Have Missed A Few Things
As pediatricians, Alice and her husband felt their kids were growing up with professionals, but “in reality, we were just parents,” forming the best framework they could to help guide their sons.

Julia Huisman: I Promise
To children, promises should not be broken, ever,” shared Julia, speaking on the promises she makes to her daughter, including the promise to let her be who she is.

Judy Miller: Souls Speak
Judy shared about the longing to adopt again and how her son, once a part of her dreams, became a reality through efforts that could only have come from a higher power.

A portion of the proceeds from the evening will benefit The Caring Place, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.