More Common Threads

So…we’re settled on #814…aren’t we? It’s been unanimous thus far and I’m assuming that few people are going to weigh in with thoughts between now and the morning. So…(shifts from foot to foot for a moment, glancing at the clock)…I mean, we’re settled, right? #814 it is.

The graphic is…well…the only graphic we have. Therefore, I say, let’s just use it for the time being. If this was a giant fundraising campaign, I would say that we should wait until we have the best possible visual and the best possible write-up…possible. But this is an information passing campaign. And we should just pass along the information. So, feel free to pass along these words and images via your own blog. Tie on a thread. And start spreading the word. And tell me how to put this image on my sidebar.

I loved Royalyne’s words and I’ve used them as a jumping point. I think it needs to be succinct. And there needs to be two versions–a short version and a long version. So below are two drafts. Make suggestions, changes, additions, opinions.

Short version:

Infertility. Simple word with a complicated definition. Yet whether one has difficulties carrying a pregnancy to term or is unable to conceive naturally, our common emotional response is the same: anger, frustration, depression, shame, guilt and loneliness. One in seven Americans will experience infertility and a far greater number are affected by this silent problem. Tie a pomegranate-coloured string (a longstanding symbol of fertility) around your wrist to start a conversation, make a connection, provide an education, and end the silence. This common thread that binds us can be the common thread that builds community as well as building understanding between the fertile and infertile worlds. With a simple thread, infertility doesn’t need to be a lonely experience.

Longer version:

Pomegranates, a longstanding symbol of fertility, serve as a strong analogy to those suffering through infertility. Though each pomegranate skin is unique in colour and texture, the seeds inside are remarkably similar from fruit to fruit. Though our diagnosis is unique—endometriosis, low sperm count, luteal phase defect, or causes unknown—the emotions, those seeds on the inside, are the same from person to person. Infertility creates frustration, anger, depression, guilt, and loneliness. Compounding these emotions is the shame that drives people suffering from infertility to retreat into silence.

The pomegranate thread holds a two-fold purpose: to identify and create community between those experiencing infertility as well as create a starting point for a conversation. Women pregnant through A.R.T., families created through adoption, or couples trying to conceive during infertility can wear the thread, identifying themselves to others in this silent community. At the same time, the string serves as a gateway to conversations about infertility when people inquire about its purpose. These conversations are imperative if we are ever to remove the social stigma attached to infertility.

Tie on the thread because you’re not alone. Wear to make aware.

And then there’s the informal version:

Listen, you damn Stirrup Queen or Sperm Palace Jester. Tie the freakin string on your wrist so I can place you on the right side of the sliding scale when I see you pregnant at Starbucks.

Sigh.

I’m off for the one-hour massage promised by my fantastic, wonderful husband. And I promise, no more thoughts about infertility tonight.