THE BIG APPLE EXPERIENCE!

The Smiling Mask Team travelled to New York for its first academic conference. The bright lights, billboards and big city adventure was surreal.

The conference, “Mothers Gone Mad,” opened our eyes to the shared experiences of many women surrounding Postpartum Depression and Mothering.

Personally listening to the ideas presented by the various speakers was interesting on many levels, these women touched on so many aspects of mothering and their own experiences. The knowledge we received spoke about the respect for our own mothers and generations past.

There was no judgment of mental illness but rather a deep admiration for the strength and suffering of past and present mothers. The experience of congregating with such spirited, passionate and intelligent women was poetic. Our differences in age, education, social class and ethnicity were lost as we entered and spoke about women as a whole; mind, body and spirit. We encouraged, educated and empowered each other!

Our hope is that with more education and awareness future mothers will be free of the mask and move towards the original beauty of creation. Finally beginning with the universal thread: If we nurture the mother we nurture humanity.