Love Shack, Baby

Never underestimate the benefit of a break – any kind of break. In the world of those of us trying to conceive, it’s usually a break from counting days or taking time off from an IUI or IVF cycle.

Jack Bauer and I have had quite a challenging summer on the road to adding a baby to our family-- with our last two embryos not sticking in our gestational carrier and continued bad news from Vietnam where our darling boy is waiting.

So, we took a brief vacation last week, and it was exactly what we needed. I feel recharged and refreshed. It’s amazing what a few days in a bed and breakfast in a quaint town with the one you love most in the world can do for the soul. That, pounds of French fries and ice cream, and naps in a hammock help, too.

All the mushy stuff aside, I discovered another thing that melted away some of the stress of trying to add a baby (and I would add that it’s also something that could take away most any type of tension): Doing something completely out of character.

I experienced it first hand over the weekend. There was a concert at a waterfront park, so we decided to sit and enjoy the music, beautiful weather and scenery. The band was actually playing karaoke songs and people from the audience would pick there song and sing with the band.

Now, I have been known to belt out Irene Cara’s “What a Feeling” or “Fame” and at our own wedding two of my closest friends and I got the band to let us sing “Love Shack,” but these incidents were under the influence of a few cocktails, and would never under sober circumstances.

I have no idea what got over me. Perhaps it was the state of extreme relaxation I was in or that the breeze off the lake actually had some kind of chemical in it that altered my mind. No matter, I told Jack Bauer, that I, too, was going to sing. He encouraged me, but I think he was shocked and stunned when I approached the stage after a gentleman who sang a mean Johnny Cash.

So, in front of a crowd of about 250 Michigans, I sang the Kate Pierson part of “Love Shack,” shimmied my hips and smiled as I looked out into the crowd. It was exhilarating.

Applause followed my act and several people told me “good job” as I made my way back to my seat. It was thrilling.

I highly recommend doing something out of the ordinary to break away from the routine of infertility woes or any other stressor. You may not have to do something as dramatic as jumping out of a plane or singing in front of a crowd, but stepping into a different skin can banish your worries. And, it’s worth it, even if it’s just for a minute.