I want you to know that it IS OK to wobble: YES even during World Childless Week when you are surrounded by so much love and support. You are only human and humans wobble.
Before I write anything else I want to thank Steph and all the official champions for their hard work: I know from personal experience what a huge amount of work that hosting an event like this involves.
I also want to thank all the other World Childless Week champions who have been working in the background. Every person who liked a post is a champion. Everyone who commented on or shared a link is a champion too.
As for the individuals who wrote something that was published on the website they are CHAMPIONS too. Especially if this is the first time of writing about something so personal and then it being shared with the world. Without all of these writing champions, and the likes, and shares, World Childless Week would not be the success that it is.
I salute you all!
So back to the fact that it’s the Monday after the end of World Childless Week …
After the “full on” nature of the week it’s natural to take a moment or to reflect on. Now I didn’t do this immediately after WCW last year.
Why not?
Well I’d been running on excessive amounts of adrenaline for weeks. I was doing a huge amount of work behind the scenes supporting Steph in the background. Andrew and I notched up over 350+hrs before, during and after last year’s event and that’s before considering the time spent writing my own blogs.
Come Monday morning the only part of my body that didn’t hurt and/or shake was the very tip of my nose.
Despite feeling so appalling I desperately needed to get out of the house. I’d had hardly left my office for ten days let alone the house. My first trip out was to the supermarket. Not very exciting yet vital because we had no more food in the fridge or cupboards. If we left it one more day the dogs, cats and the both of us would have been living on rice cakes and granola!
I remember sitting in the car as Andrew drove us to the supermarket. My whole body started to shake, and the tears started to flow. Through my sobs I managed to explain that I had fallen off the cliff: my body and mind was going “cold turkey” because its constant supply of adrenaline had been cut off overnight.
I know Steph felt exactly the same because we exchanged numerous FB PMs and emails about it as we wondered whole long the adrenalin withdrawal would take.
It took me a good couple of weeks to feel human again by which time Andrew and I were busy constructing the first WCW website. It was a very basic website and nowhere near a lovely looking as the current one. However, it did the “job” that was needed at the time. A place for all the wonderful content which was easier to navigate than the Facebook Page.
As I came out of the post WCW brain fog our life took on a bit of a surreal quality. My subconscious mind woke me up at 3am on morning as it had something important to tell me that couldn’t wait until a more civilised time.
I was really good and let Andrew sleep. Meanwhile I lay awake with a mind so buzzing with ideas that I’m actually surprised that Andrew couldn’t hear it. By the time Andrew surfaced I had a plan …
“Morning Darling. Sleep well? We’re going to start an on-line magazine. The domain name is available: however, I haven’t bought it yet. Oh, and I’ve checked the software we researched two years ago, and we can embed video into it!”
“Oh OK”
Master of understated enthusiasm, my husband!
The months that followed have been a whirlwind. The magazine was launched in December and the life-long dream of becoming a journalist was realised.
In April Andrew and hosted the We Are Worthy Summit with the unstinting help of Brandi Lytle, of Not So Mommy …
This wasn’t a life-long dream: however, it was one that had been bubbling away in the background since April 2015. As a former IT trainer empowering other people through sharing knowledge is one of my core values and to be able to do this, whilst giving people the opportunity to deliver their first ever webinars was a very special time for me.
May and it was time for Fertility Fest. A first for Andrew and me. First time on stage talking about infertility, we’ve both be on stage before, and first time of delivering a PechaKucha. Until March I wouldn’t have known a PechaKucha if it had jumped up and bit me. We’ll be sharing a recording of the PechaKucha in the very near future. Keep an eye out for my “Beautiful perspectives on the importance of camels”
YES …. CAMELS!
Then June saw the arrival of Canbace! Words still cannot fully express all of my emotions surround what could be the greatest gift to come out of my pain.
Which brings us back around to World Childless Week again. This year Andrew and I were not working behind the scenes yet between us we have written a blog for each day. Unfortunately, there are only 24hrs in a day and we’ve got a “To Do List” the length of War and Peace with the magazine, Canbace and the planning of all things Canbace related.
However, we have been there in the background and it has been lovely to see some familiar faces who wrote content for last year. It’s also been wonderful meeting new people too.
So, this day last year I fell off the adrenaline cliff. Do I think that will happen again this year?
It’s unlikely as we’re currently working on Issue #06 of the magazine which will be published in early November.
The #CanbaceLife Twitter Chat
There’s also the weekly #CanbaceLife Twitter Chat to look forward to. I co-host this with Brandi Lytle of Not So Mommy … every Tuesday at 7pm (London) which is 2pm (New York)
If you are a fellow Twitterer why not joins us for a natter plus some proactive healing ideas. It’s a great way to get together and share what is going on in your life as you “Create A New, Beautiful And Courageous Existence”
If you want to follow us on Twitter our IDs are:
Me – @TheCanbaceTribe
Brandi – @IAmNotSoMommy
Andrew – @TheCNBCMagazine
How to kick-start your Canbace Life
In my blog next Monday I will be announcing some exciting news about “How to kick-start your Canbace Life”. I can’t wait to get your reaction!
A New Ribbon and A New Day
We’ve also got the Canbace/Childless Awareness Ribbon to start promoting. Plus, the first ever CANBACE/Childless Day which is happening on 1st May 2019.
You can read why Brand chose Olive Green for the ribbon here
Why 1st May? Read all about that here
Can you believe that …. We have a ribbon AND a day especially for us!
If fact there is so much going on that Brandi and I are going to host a webinar in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we can’t confirm the exact date due to a recent bereavement: however, we are hoping it will be during the first week in October.
“An Introduction to Canbace” Webinar
Brandi and I have so much planned for Canbace, the ribbon and the awareness day that we’ve decided to co-host a free webinar/ Click on the link below to find out more. You can use the form to let us know that you would like to receive and email when the date has been confirmed.
Whilst I am convinced I won’t fall off my adrenaline cliff I am concerned that other people may not be so lucky.
In fact, I have already been contacted by a number of people who have been having wobbles during WCW. This has confused them slightly. The general feeling being express is that “there is so much support and the sense of community if amazing, so why am I struggling this week of all weeks?”
I hear you.
I understand.
Completely.
Because I have also had a wobble over the last couple of days. I attempted to do a Facebook Live to help reassure everyone that it is perfect understandable.
It doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you.
It doesn’t mean you are not as healed as you thought. It doesn’t mean that World Childless Week has not done a great job.
My Facebook Live was not easy to “deliver” or to watch due to unstable Internet. So that you are not left hanging I’ve recorded a video to look at why “It’s OK to wobble even during World Childless Week.”.
It’s a bit rough around the edges as I’ve not had much time to plan the content. However, I hope you find it useful and reassuring.
Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who has read and shared our blogs during the week. I hope that you will continue to read future blogs. Now that World Childless Week is finished for this year the Canbace Diaries will return to three blogs a week.
On Monday the focus is on “Creating” – the first day of the week and the first word in “Creating A New Beautiful And Courageous Existence”. A gentle yet consistent reminder of what Canbace is all about.
Wednesday sees the return of my “Beautiful Perspectives”. I’m in the process of twisting Andrew’s arm, sorry encouraging Andrew to write his version of beautiful perspectives as he shares his “Man-ority Report”. Time will tell if I am successful. His reluctance is because he is still not 100% convinced that anyone will want to read his perspectives. If any of you can help me convince him, it would be appreciated.
Friday’s focus in “Existence” – when I started the Canbace Diaries this was also “Existence can be hard.” yet I want to add a little bit of light and shade to Fridays. So, the “Existence can be hard” is going to be interspersed with “Existence is easier …”
I hope that we will keep in touch as the next 12 months are going to be phenomenal!
In the meantime, remember
Be kind to yourself …
In CANBACE friendship!
If anything I have written resonates I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I appreciate that this can be a difficult subject to speak openly about so if you don’t want me to publish your comment on the website please let me know and I will keep your words private.
Click on the image below to read Brandi Lytle’s brilliant blog “Good Things: Different Perspectives Within Our Childless Tribe
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