For Mother's Day, Newtown Mom Shares Her Story On Stage

She's a mother, quilter and small business owner. And this Sunday, Newtown resident Barb Patrick will add storytelling to her accomplishments. She'll be joining a group of storytellers onstage for the Listen To Your Mother reading series at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York, just in time for Mother's Day.

"For me, this is probably the most unusual thing I've ever done," she says. "I'm a stay-at-home mom in Newtown who makes baby quilts."

Her performance -- entitled "Leaps and Bounds" -- will join those of luminaries ranging from blogger (and former Redbook editor-in-chief) Stacy Morrison to comedian Jaime Fernandez. Each speaks on motherhood and the joys and challengers surrounding it.

For her, the story grew out of the aftermath of the Dec. 14 shooting -- and how it affected her and her family emotionally.

"It was, frankly, giving my grief a voice," she says. "For me, that was helpful. It was just a way to express that grief and process it a little more."

Her three children attend Newtown High School, Newtown Middle School and Head o' Meadow. In the weeks after, she tried to talk honestly and openly with them about what happened, but to do so when they were in a good place emotionally.

"I tried to focus on the kind and good acts that have come about as a result of that day," she says. "I've told them that [after] one bad act, look at the outpouring of kindness from people around the world -- and that is what I choose to focus on. But I need them to be able to talk about if they want to. And I did answer their questions honestly."

She says it was probably the greatest trial she'd experienced emotionally as a parent.

"And I have to hold it together for my kids and give them positive messages about how they need to cope with it and move forward."

She had been considering auditioning for the Listen to Your Mother series after her friend Kate Mayer participated last year. Originally she'd been planning a humorous story, but decided to focus on the impact the shooting had on her family instead.

"I couldn't get through it without crying," she says. "And I was worried about auditioning in that state. But it turns out the authenticity of my story -- a heartfelt piece at the horrific events -- I think that resonated. And all the stories are that way -- these honest, raw stories about motherhood. The thing that's universal is everyone has a mother. Everyone can connect to motherhood in some way."

Patrick is planning a book about the intersection between her quilting (her business is Bitty Birdie Design) and personal loss. Along with baby quilts and graduation gifts, Patrick creates memory quilts -- tributes to lost loved ones made from their clothes.

"Interestingly, making these quilts for other people is very therapeutic for me personally," she says. "And I understand the weight that something like a warm, cozy, comforting blanket might mean to someone who has given me their loved one's clothes and said, 'Please make a blanket out of this.'"

More and more, she says finds herself inspired to reach out, and telling her story on stage is one part of her journey.

"I [originally] didn't want to do this because it felt vulnerable and raw," she says. "But I took the risk. It's turned into this awesome experience. I'm an anxious person, so as I get older, I'm trying more and more to experience a wider variety of things in life, and it's always thrilling -- and very fulfilling."

The Listen To Your Mother show takes place in 24 cities through the U.S. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and are available through the Symphony Space's website.