My Labor Day focused on a less traditionally thought of labor for this day--childbirth. Today I attended a BOLD (Birth on Labor Day) event which was put on by some Oly moms and affiliated with local doulas and other childbirth professionals.

"BOLD is a global movement to make maternity care mother-friendly through events that use the arts to inspire communities to educate themselves, speak their truth, an take action on maternity care issues."

My reasons for going were threefold: 1) I am all over opportunities to talk about the birth of my daughter, 2) I wanted to hear about experiences from other woman, and 3) I thought it would be a good opportunity to gather with other women (other mothers) in a safe, non-oppressive environment. I was not disappointed.

When time started to wane and I was faced with the decision to share my story or hear the story of another woman, I opted for the latter. I wanted to absorb all that these women were willing to give. I have a lot to learn.

Today's experience at BOLD was a sharp reminder of how powerful, relevant, and missing the feminine/femaleness is in our society. Women's birthing experiences should be heard, shared, and passed down. The event was the first year of BOLD in Olympia, and I hope that this is a first of many.