Highlights of MEBO’S 2nd Annual Meetup, Washington DC 2011

The experience we shared at our meetup in Washington this year was absolutely amazing, wonderful, life-altering... and it touched each of us deeply in a very special way. I couldn’t help but see the palpable changes in the facial expressions of those persons who had attended the meetup last year in Nashville. There was a more relaxed, self-assured, peaceful demeanor about them, as they seemed to be more empowered by the greater degree of knowledge we have all obtained since then, and the strong support we have given each other through our trials and burdens throughout the year.



There were many new faces in Washington, some of whom initially seemed to be in dire straits desperate for guidance in employment concerns, understanding some of the causes of body odor conditions, current available treatment options, and information of potential research theories, all of which were addressed by the experts who gave us so much literature and presentations, that we just couldn’t present them all. As the conference unfolded, the stress on these new faces just seemed to be soothed with the information, kindness, and support given, and bright-eyed smiles replaced them. In some cases, tears of joy where shed from time to time.

It wasn’t only the much appreciated information provided by experts that touch our hearts, it was the sharing of sincere kindness and concern we gave and received from each other as we broke bread at breakfast, lunch-dinner, and even our “Happy Hour” with drinks and snacks during our Manager’s Reception. The restaurant servers were very patient with us as we just wouldn’t leave even as they cleaned the area around us after it was all over. We wanted to cherish the moment forever.

The strong support we all felt from the four experts who provided information for the conference part of our meetup held on Saturday, Drs. John Cashman, Elizabeth Shephard, Nigel Manning, and Cheryl Fields, was not only emotionally uplifting, but the wealth of valuable information they shared with us and the presentations they gave us out of the compassion and kindness of their hearts was nothing less than overwhelmingly uplifting. We are profoundly grateful to them for their kind generosity; it is indeed deeply appreciated.

Then on Sunday, those who were able to do so went to the National Mall area to visit the sites. Some went to the various Smithsonian Institute Museums and eventually headed towards the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, saw the Jefferson Memorial from a distance as the paddle boats strolled along on the Potomac River, we paid homage to the three wars memorials, the Korean, Viet Nam, and World War II Memorials. A group of us then took a cab to Georgetown as we strolled through the shops and restaurants, and of course, had our tasty cupcakes.

In sum, this year’s meetup had 3 main focuses: Mind, Body, and Soul; and all three were stirred and revived by the time we returned to our respective homes spread out throughout the country. Of course, we can’t just seem to leave one meetup without discussing the next one to look forward to, and one could hear the resounding sounds of “Miami” and “London” in the air…

Thanks to all for the special encounter you have shared with me. It will never be forgotten.

María

María de la Torre
President and Executive Director

A Public Charity

www.meboresearch.org
maria.delatorre@meboresearch.org
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