Getting Through: Letter from the Editor

“Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means pushing back a boundary line and adding to one’s liberty.”
           – Henri Frederic Amiel (1821-1881), Swiss philosopher and poet

Dear Readers,

Happy May Day! This is truly a beautiful time in Switzerland. The trees are in bloom and summer is on the way. We have made it through the long hard winter!

As this issue was developing, I began to wonder if it was a bit too top-heavy with tales of trials and tribulations, sadness and setbacks. I actually considered changing the theme to one that is a bit more upbeat, a tad more entertaining. But then I thought back to the feelings of isolation I had upon moving to a new country without friends and family; I read through our writers’ uplifting stories, and then I decided to carry on with this issue, Getting Through.

Despite our good intentions, life does not always go as we plan it to go. In this issue you may find some solace in reading what challenges our writers have experienced while trying to conceive a child or in dealing with loneliness and losses as parents, wives, and mothers. You will see that although the going can be tough, we can get through it; we can rise to the occasion and find our inner strength.

I hope you enjoy reading our online journal, and I wish you all the power you need to get through the tough stuff!

Mary Bider
Editor

Copy Editors: Carol McDonald and Liz Le Feuvre

Contributors: Audra Baleisis, Mary Bider, Hannah C. Brown, Karen Clayton, Tanya Deans, Dina El Halaby, Heidi Gallacher, Karin Andersson Hagelin, Dr Jahura Hossain, Joanna Koch, Carol McDonald, Eleni Mylona, Yvette Merzbacher, Heddi Nieuwsma, Monica Shah, Cassandra Parsons

Illustrators: Ivy Hieber Kwok, L. Ghersi, Susana Gutierrez, Lara Friedrich (photography), Albina Nogueira, Laura Munteanu, Justyna Chudzinska, Jen Bognar

Proofreaders: Kate Ashton, Helen Benton, Chloë Goldwin, Wendy Guenot, Joanna Koch, Andrea Snashall

Logo: Suzanne Evans–Ackermann

Communication: Claire Peterson

Webmaster / Layout Designer: Tanya Deans

Web Designer: Maximilian Wulf

Facebook Page Moderators: Tanya Deans, Iliana Eichholzer

Advertising Manager: Mary Bider

The Mothering Matters team does not necessarily share the personal opinions expressed on the website; nor does it necessarily endorse products, services or establishments mentioned or described in the contributions and advertisements.