Hi Spence,
I, just this moment, finished reading your beautiful book in its entirety….and my overall feeling is that this book is spectacular and necessary. It is written in a style that is SO true to the way you converse with clients and friends and your warmth really comes through…. I love that.
Other things I love….
The book doesn’t ask anyone to do anything extreme. It doesn’t make the reader feel overwhelmed or that they need to go to outrageous measures in any way to gain some control over their own fertility. Everything the book suggests is attainable, affordable and manageable.
A large quantity of the suggestions/recommendations in the book are relevant to everyone…not just those who suffer from fertility issues. This just proves that TCM has nothing to do with providing “band aids” for health issues….anyone who reads this book will walk away with something useful and enlightening. Even if a reader never realizes their dream of becoming a parent I do not think they would ever say that reading this book was a waste of their time. It’s about so much more than baby making.
The exercises and simple tasks that the reader is asked to complete will offer a real sense of feeling a little bit of control. Which, for me, was one of the hardest parts of waiting to conceive…. I think having a format to think, write, ask oneself questions and set goals is a great way for people to stop thinking about all the reasons why they aren’t getting pregnant (what did I do to deserve this? Why me? I am not worthy….). It gives them something to DO, to feel like they are taking steps toward a more fertile self instead of just sitting around helplessly waiting and wondering. It provides a template to create ones own mantras, meditations, etc. Invaluable!!!
I also loved taking this little walk down memory lane with myself while my new little bambina is lying on my chest … She is so precious to us and I feel like our struggles with fertility have helped me to really appreciate our family that much more. The stories your clients shared all brought some element of our experience on our path to parenthood to mind….if I was reading this book five years ago, before Miller or Summer had chosen us, I would not have felt alone. This book with its practical information and exercises combined with its emotional true stories is JUST what people need to feel hopeful. As I mentioned last night in my thoughts on the book cover, I truly believe that hope is a key ingredient here. It’s what gets us past the disappointments, keeps us persevering and helps us to accept whatever outcome may be.
I hope you feel really proud of this project. I am not an editor, and I don’t know much about the technicalities of writing a book, but I can truly say that from the perspective of a person who is struggling to get pregnant, I would recommend this to anyone! It’s a great read, I learned a lot and I think it represents you and Yinstill, beautifully.
WAY TO GO. This book will make a difference. Thank you so much for sharing it with me.
T.
Xo