Friday, August 31, 2012

The Extreme Parenting Video Project

Here it is! Finally, here it is!

I've got nothing to say but thank you. Thank you to those beautiful people who sent me their photos. Thank you for always supporting one another. Thank you for helping me to feel deep gratitude for this path that we share. And thank you to Phil Konya for putting the slides together and adding the music.

Now, please watch and be struck by so many beautiful, soulful eyes -- it's the eyes, here, true windows to the soul.

And please share the video, particularly with those who might have just stepped on the path. Let me know if you have any ideas on whom to send it, where to send it, etc.


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55 comments:

  1. MelAugust 31, 2012 at 7:36 AM

    Elizabeth, I'm speechless, and crying. You have made something extraordinary. It needs to go viral.

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  2. bakerfamily5August 31, 2012 at 7:46 AM

    Beautful and touching....

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  3. gretchenAugust 31, 2012 at 8:05 AM

    Perfect! May I please share this on my blog next week?

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  4. BLOOM - Parenting Kids With DisabilitiesAugust 31, 2012 at 8:20 AM

    Beautiful!!!

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  5. HeatherAugust 31, 2012 at 8:45 AM

    Privileged to have been part of this beautiful project and privileged to be part of this community.

    THANK YOU for all you do for us here online and for me, how lucky I am that I am able to have you be part of my life in the real world.

    Blessed and lucky indeed. Now off to share this ...

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  6. Phil DzialoAugust 31, 2012 at 8:49 AM

    An absolutely wonderful production, you should be so proud at this contribution to a wide audience.

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  7. From the KitchenAugust 31, 2012 at 8:56 AM

    Kudos to all of you!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  8. BirdieAugust 31, 2012 at 9:16 AM

    I don't have words to say how perfect this is. I love it. May I add it to my blog?

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  9. livAugust 31, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    Heartbreaking, Stunning, Inspiring.

    A hugely important piece of work. Congratulations on such a powerful piece of collaborative work and great blessings to you, Elizabeth for bringing this to the world!

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  10. Ms. MoonAugust 31, 2012 at 9:32 AM

    Shared, posted, linked.
    Love you, darling. You done real, real good.

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  11. Ramona QuimbyAugust 31, 2012 at 9:53 AM

    Oh boy. I'm weeping. Sending this to my mom. Linking.

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  12. GbergerAugust 31, 2012 at 10:06 AM

    I love it and am sharing it! Thank you for inviting your community to be part of it.

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  13. 37paddingtonAugust 31, 2012 at 11:19 AM

    I have watched this again and again, and I am in tears.

    I reposted it on my blog, with a link here.

    Thank you. I have no words.

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  14. TheresaAugust 31, 2012 at 1:04 PM

    I am speechless.
    with tears in my eyes.
    What you said put me over the edge.

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  15. Marylinn KellyAugust 31, 2012 at 2:08 PM

    Elizabeth, This is so beautiful, the music a perfect match. The signs reminding us we know our children best is part of my experience. Some doctors hadn't a clue. So brave and full of love. You are all wonders. xo

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  16. WayneAugust 31, 2012 at 3:03 PM

    Absolutely beautiful and so inspiring - in fact, there aren't enough adjectives to do it justice. Who said that the world was made of mostly darkness?

    I found this through Ms Moon and I'm truly moved.

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  17. gradydoctorAugust 31, 2012 at 3:50 PM

    Dearest Elizabeth,

    Thank you for this labor of love. I am so proud to know you. Amazing, amazing. That's what you are.

    Love,

    Kimberly@gradydoctor.com

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  18. AnonymousAugust 31, 2012 at 3:51 PM

    thank you for this, elizabeth. i'm going to share it with my sister. thank you. thank you.


    but i have to stop crying because my dog is freaking out!

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  19. CarolynAugust 31, 2012 at 4:57 PM

    Heavenly, simply heavenly! Thanks, Elizabeth!

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  20. The HenrysAugust 31, 2012 at 5:31 PM

    Wow, this is beautiful...so powerful and moving.

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  21. Bea, OTAugust 31, 2012 at 6:25 PM

    So beautiful, so moving, and so true! There are tears of joy, grief, and understanding in my eyes.

    Thank you for your beautiful work! I will be pinning this!

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  22. AnonymousAugust 31, 2012 at 7:24 PM

    Beautiful.
    Thank you.
    xo

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  23. AnonymousAugust 31, 2012 at 7:54 PM

    I sent it off to a lot of people. One friend has a daughter with Down syndrome, she loved it. Another was an aide who cared for Katie for years, it made her cry.

    Thank you Elizabeth.

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  24. PaulaAugust 31, 2012 at 7:58 PM

    This is fabulous! My only comment on the video itself is that it goes by too fast, and I couldn't read everything before it went on to the next person. Everyone's picture is so amazing -- I wanted more time to look at them with that beautiful music in the background.

    Yes, parents should see this, but I think you should send this to every special ed teacher training program. Teachers to be need to see this. This is real. They need to get a teensy understanding of what parents go through and how they feel.

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  25. Mama DAugust 31, 2012 at 8:11 PM

    Wonderful and true and real and heartfelt. Thank you...

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  26. T. August 31, 2012 at 9:08 PM

    Weeping.

    No words except "thank-you."

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  27. T. August 31, 2012 at 9:10 PM

    (The wv spelled out my son's name. No kidding.)

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  28. erikaAugust 31, 2012 at 10:32 PM

    Paula, some of the slides do change too fast, but it is set by the duration of the song, so there is not much one can do about it, unless you take some of the pictures out. Maybe people can watch it again or pause it ?

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  29. Steve ReedSeptember 1, 2012 at 12:05 AM

    Elizabeth, this turned out REALLY WELL! Congratulations to you and all your participants. I posted it to Facebook so hopefully that will help spread it around. Kudos to you for taking this on and producing such a wonderful, important, supportive yet honest piece.

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  30. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2012 at 2:36 AM

    Really beautiful and important video. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. S. Jo

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  31. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2012 at 4:44 AM

    My soul sighed.

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  32. FrancescaSeptember 1, 2012 at 8:29 AM

    Thank you Elizabeth.

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  33. Alison PiepmeierSeptember 1, 2012 at 11:08 AM

    Hurray hurray hurray! I'm so excited and will post this on our blog!

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  34. UnknownSeptember 1, 2012 at 5:19 PM

    This is amazing ... Keep it at the top for a few days so no one misses it ... I almost did

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  35. karioSeptember 2, 2012 at 8:58 AM

    I have waited until this morning to watch this, knowing that I wanted to be alone in a quiet place to fully absorb it. Despite the glaring sunshine, I'm sitting on my balcony and have had to tip my laptop screen as far back as it will go in order to get enough shade to see the video. I'm not sure I breathed the entire three minutes and at the end I caught my own reflection in my laptop screen - my face from the top lip up. Silently streaming from my eyes were tears of joy and gratitude and sadness and solace. Thank you. This is a masterpiece.

    Love.

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  36. mariaSeptember 3, 2012 at 7:41 PM

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is perfect

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  37. Laura Wright AKA The ODD MomSeptember 4, 2012 at 7:21 AM

    A friend sent this to me this morning, and I watched it with tears streaming down my face. I have a little boy with ADHD, ODD, SPD, and anxiety, whose mental health challenges make life difficult for him on the best of days. But his smile sustains me, his laughter lifts me up, and his kisses make it all worth while. Thank you so much for this incredible gift. I'll be sharing this on my blog and on my blog's Facebook page today.

    Laura Wright
    AKA The ODD Mom

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  38. AnonymousSeptember 4, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    I was finally able to watch your video. What an awesome experience! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this!

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  39. KathleenSeptember 5, 2012 at 1:36 AM

    When our daughter was diagnosed with down syndrome 11 years ago I had to travel from our home to the mainland (with my 3 year old in tow) to deliver her in a trauma rated hospital due to her heart abnormality. My husband remained behind 3500 miles away until closer to the time of our delivery. A song by the band Creed came out on the radio called "with arms wide open." Across the ocean on 2 different continents we both identified with that song. We were scared and we weren't sure we would be able to handle everything that was to come, but we accepted the diagnosis and our baby Alison with arms wide open. I'm touched by the truth and the honesty of the people in the video--both the upbeat and the sense of fear at the not know the enormity of all that was to come. We went through so many emotions. Sadly, the joy and the love were very short lived because an unexpected intestinal problem took her away form us when she was just a few days old. At her funeral we played "with arms wide open." This video brings back all the raw emotions of that time. The hope, the joy, and the sorrow. It's a beautiful tribute.

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  40. LeslieSeptember 5, 2012 at 5:26 AM

    elizabeth. it's wonderful. and i'm weeping... thank you all, for doing this.

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  41. michelle wardSeptember 6, 2012 at 8:38 AM

    A dear friend shared this with me and I will turn around and share it myself. Thank you for this....affirming, validating, encouraging, joyful, honest connection to parents facing uncertainty whether we share a similar path, or not.

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  42. sophie sartainSeptember 6, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    Beautiful!! Thank you, Elizabeth, and to all the parents who participated.

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  43. EricSeptember 7, 2012 at 11:54 PM

    Thank you so much for this Elizabeth. I have been on a bit of a blogging hiatus of late and being able to share this was just what I needed. Shattering a bit of a "no one understands us" kind of a pitty party I threw for myself since our last hopsital stay until you slapped me out of my foolishness.

    It is beautiful and honest and will probably always bring me to tears.

    Thanks also to everyone who participated. There is bravery and strength in every one of those photos. I stand in awe of you all.


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  44. AbbieSeptember 11, 2012 at 4:26 PM

    This is beautiful...passing this along to my friends. Thank you!

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  45. AnonymousSeptember 19, 2012 at 12:31 PM

    That was so honest, heartfelt compelling and in the end hopeful. People are amazing when you think you can't take anymore you can...this video confirms it.thank you for making it.

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  46. A Cuban In LondonSeptember 20, 2012 at 10:06 AM

    Manythanks for this video. I''d missed it first time around so I made sure I would watch it this time. You're truly inspirational.

    Greetings from London.

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  47. Hills N ValleysOctober 24, 2012 at 9:32 PM

    Love it! It's nice to know hubby and I are not alone.

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  48. Catherine WNovember 3, 2012 at 6:36 PM

    Beautiful Elizabeth. thank you so very much. Hoping for you and with you, for all of us xo

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  49. AnonymousJanuary 15, 2013 at 7:40 PM

    Thank you.

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  50. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2013 at 9:34 PM

    Why do they say to ask for help? In my experience, there is none.

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  51. Nancy Bea MillerFebruary 22, 2013 at 6:37 AM

    Thank you for this. It's been a while since i was moved to tears, but this did it. ♡

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  52. Heather McHughJune 27, 2013 at 3:45 AM

    Bravissima, Elizabeth! Like others I found myself watching over and over-- partly to appreciate the distinct characters behind words and facial expressions -- partly to catch the occasioning kids' faces in corners and doorways behind sign-bearers... what eloquence there is in the wordless sign of one caregiver-- and in the suddenly downcast eyes of another. "This will hurt" as true and important as "It will be okay"... Bless you for including the men -- they are rarer in this role but no less important-- and maybe more inclined to say the hard stuff. Behind it all, under it all, above all, someone singing her heart out. Yay! (to the umpteenth power).

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  53. WishIHadAHorseyJune 28, 2013 at 12:51 PM

    Thank you.

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  54. AnonymousJune 16, 2014 at 1:13 AM

    All of it beautiful and too true.
    But truest of all:
    Her eyes will sustain you.

    And have done so for decades.
    Peace.
    Bernhard

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  55. AnonymousOctober 23, 2014 at 8:07 AM

    http://www.communityaccesstothearts.org/programs

    Dearest Elizabeth,
    This video is simply a gift.
    Do you know about Community Access to the Arts in the Berkshires? They may be a great destination for your video.

    Sending you all my love, S

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