Everyone Has a Story: Listen To Your Mother Ticket Giveaway

I just bought my ticket for Listen to Your Mother's DC show on May 4.

If you are not familiar with the LTYM movement, it is a spoken-word show started by Ann Imig that will be in 32 cities this year in the days surrounding Mother's Day. 

Writers around the country audition to read short pieces related to some aspect of motherhood. Twelve to fifteen are selected to take part in each city's show. On show day, performances range from hilarious to gripping to poignant, just like motherhood. You will love the honesty and vulnerability of the performances.

I was honored to be part of LTYM DC just seven months after we lost Jack. This year there will be a show in Baltimore as well. If you love to hear women's stories, the LTYM experience is for you!

To see if there is a LTYM show near you this spring, check out the website.

I'd really love to see you at the DC show at 2pm on May 4 in Crystal City, and today I'm giving away a set of two tickets! Wouldn't that be a wonderful way to spend a spring afternoon with a friend, your mother, your Mother-in-law, and...me????

Just enter the giveaway using the entry form below and I'll announce the winner of the tickets on Friday.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/81fd631/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway


To give you a taste of what to expect, here is a video of my reading at LTYM in 2012. Note: I think most of the performers will actually make eye contact with the audience. :)

Winner of the Pendant/s and LTYM

Good morning!

jnh213 is the winner of the beautiful Holly Lane Designs Jack's Promise Pendant. Please email me at aninchofgray@yahoo.com with your snail mail address so I can send it to you.

If you didn't win, but would like to purchase a pendant from Holly Lane Designs, here's the link.

A second pendant was purchased by an anonymous An Inch of Gray reader to give away to someone else, well, because that's how you amazing people roll! I  will send that one to Kate from Chasing Rainbows who lost her precious Gavin last week.

Thank you for sharing your stories in the comments. Your stories matter.

Speaking of stories:

If you are in the Washington Area and would like to hear more powerful, inspiring stories of motherhood, the Listen To Your Mother show is this Sunday in Crystal City! Tickets are still available. I was honored to be part of the show last year, and look forward to being in the audience this year. Hope to see you there!

Tickets available here.

The link to  my video from last year. Please ignore the pointy nose.

To see if there is a LTYM show in your region, click here.

Love and Hugs.

Listen to Your Mother

Last Sunday was LTYM DC! Here's a show recap from the producer, my awesome friend Kate. I was honored to be part of this amazing spoken word show with a terrific group of women. I wasn't sure how my reading would go, because the day before I decided to practice with two of my mom-friends while Margaret and I were Girl Scout Camping.

I only made it through one line before starting to cry, so I figured Sunday's reading would be a crap shoot.

At the last minute I shuttled my comfy and uber-flattering dress jeans for a pair of black cotton capris. I was 8th to read, and by that time my pants were a soggy mess, having served as sweat-catchers for my dripping palms during the previous 7 readings. When my name was called, I stood up, tried to adjust my pants, and launched into reading this post.

The hardest part for me was not being able to see the people in the audience, because the stage was brightly lit and the house was dark. I stared into the blackness, knowing that college friends, prayer-group moms, blog readers, and many friends from town were there. Not being able to connect with faces was tough, and as I read I felt as if I were talking into a void, making Jim Carrey-like contortions with my face but unable to stop myself. The video should be a self-esteem crushing doozy.

This is the MOST NORMAL my face looked the whole time:

Even though it was scary...
Even though I didn't get to connect face to face with the audience as I would have liked...
And even though I read a shitty, horrible post that in no way reflects the future I thought my beautiful son would have...

The LTYM experience was wonderful and unforgettable. The remaining LTYM shows will take place tomorrow, and shortly thereafter all of the stories will be available to watch on YouTube.

The experience reminds me, once again, that we all have a story, or rather STORIES to tell. And in the sharing, through the belly laughter and the pain, we are able to connect with each other.

Speaking of stories, you MUST read this hilarious post written by a local blogger and reader of An Inch of Gray. She and her mom made the trek to see LTYM DC and you will not believe the tale she has to tell--- there may even be an Elvis sighting!

LTYM

I'm featured on the cast page of Listen To Your Mother DC today. I hope you'll check it out!

And if you are local and would like to attend the show on May 6, tickets are on sale now. Click here for details.

I hope your day is a blessing!

Listen to Your Mother!

I am honored to be taking part in Listen to Your Mother DC on May 6. LTYM features live readings by local writers. The pieces we will read touch on various aspects of motherhood. As you can imagine, my piece will deal with our unexpected loss of Jack.

LTYM was started in Madison, Wisconsin several years ago by the fabulous Ann Imig of Ann's Rants. It went national last year, and will be in 10 cities this year!

Each show contributes to a charitable cause. LTYM D.C.'s contribution will go to the Susan Niebur IBC Research Fund, set up in honor of an amazing D.C. blogger who lost her battle with Inflammatory Breast Cancer this fall.

The show is at 2pm on Sunday, May 6 at the Syntetic Theater in Crystal City. If you are local, I'd love to see you there. Unless I'm in the fetal position backstage. But either way, it'll be a great show!

LTYM DC tickets are on sale here.