Hello Mother’s Day 2018: Resilience
Mother’s Day can be wonderful. It can also be hard. We at Hello Mom wrote letters to moms in our lives to acknowledge the struggles our relationships have endured and to celebrate love in all its complicated and unique forms.
This is the fourth blog post in a five-part Mother’s Day series.The others:
Celebration & Grief |Leading by Example |Self-Forgiveness | Love to All Mothers
Dear Mom,
Since becoming a mom for the first time, I see Mother’s Day in a new light. Sure, flowers and a free trip to the all-you-can-eat brunch buffet at Loring Pasta Bar is a nice way for me to manifest my affection for you, but it’s too small. Mom is a complicated role. You’ve been my guide, my inspiration — and at times — what felt like my enemy. You have been and continue to be everything to me.
You pushed yourself beyond your limits, motivated by what I can only guess was the tiniest hope that it would give us a better life than the one you had. It’s because of the example you set that I try, every damn day, to be a better person for my children and for myself. I saw you experience frustration, joy and defeat. Whatever the circumstance, you’ve stayed unapologetically true to who you are and what you stand for. Even when it hurt to do so. Your support system as a single mom raising 3 daughters was fragile at best. Our father wasn’t there to support us, let alone you. If I’m being brutally honest here — and I am — the less he had to do with things, the better. I think we can both agree on that. It still doesn’t make doing it on your own any less shitty. Oh yeah, and let’s throw a chronic, debilitating disease at you too. WTF was the universe thinking with the hand it dealt you?!
Those challenges weren’t in vain, though. It’s witnessing your drive and focus in all the hard moments that taught me how to get past them, always being better for it on the other side.
I know being a mother hasn’t always been easy for you. That never stopped you from putting your whole heart into it. Full force, and full of love. You are present in everything I do. My own babies are SO your grandchildren. I see you in Zosia’s iron will and impressive vocal projection. I see you in Max’s love of music and drive to instill happiness in those he loves. I hear you in my own internal voice, telling me to be better without being so hard on myself. You have always been there for me, and I will always be there for you.
I love the crap out of you, Mom.
