Yesterday was the Tony Awards.
Since Lotus came home we have watched the beginning of the Tony Awards together. The first time, when Neil Patrick Harris hosted, she adored. We kept it on our DVR for ages because she would love to watch the first number over and over. Then, when Hugh Jackman hosted the Tonys and began it by bouncing around Lotus jumped instead of walked for weeks. Last year she was getting over being sick, so I watched the Tonys after she went to sleep. Because Lotus loves some of the Hamilton soundtrack ("Play the shot song, mommy!" ) I was looking forward to watching some of the Tonys with her.
She liked the opening song, then got bored and played by herself for a bit. She's four, she does that now. But she crawled back on my lap when I started to cry listening to Renee Elise Goldsberry's acceptance speech.
Renee Elise Goldsberry played Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. She won their first award of the night. But the part of her speech that made me cry was this.
"and lastly I would just love to say that if you know anything about me, I've spent the last 10 years of my life what some would consider the life blood of a woman's career just trying to have children, and I can testify in front of all of you that the Lord gave me Benjamin and Brielle and then he still gave me this! Thank you!"
I cried because there, at the pinnacle of her career, a woman spoke about infertility. I cried because there was someone who knew what I had gone through. There was a woman who had spent time with a sore ass because of the meds and a battered heart as she cried after a failed cycle.
She played a Schuyler sister, but she is my IF sister. She took the time out of her triumph to claim her kinship. I held my much-prayed-for child on my lap and cried tears of happiness for her triumph.
When you are dealing with infertility and fighting the battle of your body you have comrades in arms. People you would never have imagined understand you and have been where you are. God bless you Renee Elise Goldsberry, and give you all the luck and craziness of your children. You have a sister here--in me. And if you wanted to get your sister tickets to Hamilton...I would't mind.
I saw Hamilton last September, before we realized what kind of attention it would command, and I was blown away. The fact that Goldsberry would take that moment to share the spotlight with her sisters in infertility is just amazing. I feel like this musical has almost become alive, and has started to do some powerful, long-overdue work, for so many people ... :)
ReplyDeleteThat was one of the best moments of the evening, and I bawled (which made the ChickieNob bawl). You summed it up perfectly with this: "She took the time out of her triumph to claim her kinship."
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to catch it next year when it comes to Boston (at least, that's the rumor). That's such a wonderful thing to include in an acceptance speech!
ReplyDeleteHere from the roundup. I didn't watch the Tonys but I read about her speech, and then had to google it to find a clip. I have followed Renee for years since her start on soaps, so I knew a bit about her struggles already. But her speech still made me cry. What a beautiful testament to her faith and her character.
ReplyDeleteHere from the roundup...I didn't see the Tonys and didn't hear about her speech, so I am so grateful to you for sharing it! I have to look it up now, tissues in hand. I so love when people in the limelight share this piece of themselves, acknowledge the struggle, and show themselves to be a part of the community. Just beautiful. (And yeah, tickets sure would be nice! Ha!)
ReplyDeleteI love musicals, but I hate awards shows so I hadn't watched the Tonys and never would have known if you hadn't said this, so thank you!
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