SLIDER

Thursday, May 5, 2016

(Stuff Jo Writes) - Portland Moms Blog: Motherless Mamas on Mother's Day



Portland Moms Blog posted another one of my essays, about being a "motherless mother on Mother's Day (and every other day, too). I shared it on Facebook, too, which I feel like I have done a lot of lately. You know, two days in a row seems over the top.




I actually really enjoyed writing this piece. I feel pretty strongly about each of these elements - motherhood, in the context of my own mom and my role as the Bean's mama, and also raising my own awareness and compassion for those who endure difference experiences from myself. And, no surprise, I love the real-life intersection of both the heartwarming and the heartbreaking (enter memoirs and depressing films here), which the mother-child relationship provides many opportunities for both joy and sorrow.


When You’re a Motherless Mother on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day can be a source of joy for many, sadness for some, and a melting pot of mixed emotions for others. As a ‘motherless mother,’ I now spend the holiday simultaneously relishing my lovely role as a mama, and contemplating the sorrow that is not sharing this parenting journey with my own wonderful mom.
For nearly thirty years Mother’s Day was mostly a neutral celebration for me, a Hallmark holiday of sorts. Sure, as a school-aged kid I crafted cards and puff-painted sweatshirts for my mom. As a teen, I brought her breakfast in bed, and tried my best to hold my sassy tongue for the entirety of the day. But Mother’s Day wasn’t a holiday I particularly cared about. Even after my mom died from breast cancer the summer I was nineteen-years-old, I was mostly indifferent. That Sunday in May just another reminder among many of my “unmothered” place in the world.
Then, four years ago, just a couple months after the birth of my daughter, Mother’s Day was elevated to the ranks of my most cherished of holidays. It is now one of the few traditional celebrations I eagerly anticipate. I feel an even more rabid sense of love, adoration, and gratitude for my daughter. I’m overwhelmed with the sense of pride I have in becoming a mother, of being a part of this incredible tribe of women. I am appreciative to my husband for making me a parent, and joining me in the adventure. I admire the remarkable maternal women who paved the way in the lives of myself and my loved ones. But on the heels of the love, adoration, pride, and gratitude is still an acute sense of sorrow and regret ...

To read the rest of the piece, click here!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Hover to Pin

 
Designed with ♥ by Nudge Media Design