Mom
Today is my mother’s 86th birthday. This year, her birthday is bittersweet for me. My mom has Alzheimer’s and for the first time last February, she did not recognize me right away when I visited her in California. She is in amazing physical health, however, her cognitive functioning deteriorating.
As I confront this reality, I have been asking myself what it means to be a mother. There are so many discussions about the Divine Feminine, Mother Earth and Nature. When I looked up the meaning of Mother, Oxford defines it as a state of being. This makes the most sense to me since one can mother a dog, a human friend or a plant.
To celebrate my Mom and all moms, I want to honor her by revealing all the ways she has inspired me. And how she has influenced me as a mother to all beings around me.
My mother was a feminist and had a well-paying career and owned a Duplex in Los Angeles prior to meeting my father quite late in life. She gave birth to me in her mid-30’s, which was very unusual in 1965. She spoke three languages and lived in four countries before she turned 30. She traveled the world at a time when women did not travel alone. She came to the United States by herself and eventually sponsored her entire family to also immigrate to the U.S. She was a badminton champion in her youth and I recall her doing handstands and cartwheels on the beach in her 40’s . To this day, my mom has maintained an impressive level of fitness. She was an amazing cook and loves to sing. When she was young, she wanted to become a singer and pursue a musical career. She always advised me to have my own money and my own career.
It’s strange for me to look back at her life and remember her in all her fullness and power as our roles have changed over time. When I speak to her now she is often emotional and confused why I am so far away. I calmly reassure her that I will be by her side soon and everything will be ok. And as I let go of mothering my son, I now am a mother to my mother. Life is strange, isn’t it?
Happy Mother’s Day!
XO,
