Vittoria, on Voice. Sling Diaries, Vol VII.
The Sling Diaries, Volume VII. A photo-documentary chronicling the art of baby wearing in the lives of families around the world. Over the course of six months, Sling Diarists will create their own Sling Diary though a series of diary entries interpreting a unique theme given to them each month.
Meet all of our Sling Diarists here.
ON VOICE
During World War 2, Winston Churchill led an entire nation to victory greatly because of the words he spoke. The nation was worn out, beat down, discouraged, and unwilling to keep going, but his words told the British people to persevere, to never surrender, and never give up. My words are my opportunity to not give up. Our words carry immense power. Our voice is our legacy.
Last month, I had a miscarriage. My first miscarriage happened before Brighton was born and I remembered being so shocked when I went for our first ultrasound and they couldn’t find a heartbeat. It may seem naive, but it hadn’t even crossed my mind that something could go wrong. This time around, I knew something was wrong so there was no surprise when the doctor confirmed that. I remember the exact words that the nurse spoke to me two years and ago and I remember the words that the doctor spoke to us just a few weeks ago: the words that told us something is wrong, and our baby’s life would be shorter than we anticipated.
To this day I remember the words my Nonna and mother have spoken to me about being a wife and a mother. I remember the way my dad encouraged me and told me how much I mattered to him. I also remember the things that have been said to hurt me. The words old boyfriends spoke about my weight or hair color or my weird feet; the words spoken by the people who said I wasn’t good enough.
The pain that we experience is never meant to be wasted. It’s meant to teach us, refine us, and make us stronger and wiser. While we are taking that miserable journey through the pain and when we get to the other side of healing, we have the opportunity to reach out to someone else in pain and let them know they aren’t alone. My words and my voice are my legacy. When I miscarried the first time I was shocked to discover how many people in my life had experienced the same thing, but never talked about it. I was shocked to discover how many people felt like they were alone in the pain of losing a baby. My writing was given a new purpose. I knew I had to take what I was going through and be transparent to show people that it’s ok to hurt, it’s ok to not have it all together, and it’s ok to not be perfect. Eventually the pain will go away, and we’ll get to the other side victorious, wiser, and stronger.
I wanted my voice to be a voice of encouragement, a voice of authenticity, a voice that says, “you’re not alone”, and a voice that says, “hey girl, I’m just figuring it out too”. It’s the voice of thousands of women saying “me too” that is changing the way people look at sexual abuse. It’s the voice of one man saying he had a dream that would cause generations to rise up and stand again racism and division. It’s the voice of mothers choosing to encourage one another, not shame one another, that will change the way so many mothers see themselves. Our voice has power and how we choose to use our words can literally change the world! I don’t know about you, but I hope to be a woman who chooses my words carefully and commits to leaving a legacy that inspires future generations.
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