Today's triumph is something that I had nothing to do with, and yet means the world to me: being Laurie Thede's daughter. My mother is the wisest woman I know and today is her birthday. It is appropriate that I finished reading The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) today, a book about the wisdom of women and the incredible power of a mother's love. At the beginning of her tale, the narrator Dinah says:
"If you want to understand any woman you must first ask about her mother and then listen carefully."
The idea that you must first understand my mother to understand me resonates strongly with me. For as long as I can remember, I have understood, accepted, and embraced the fact that I am very similar to my mother. Women joke about "turning into their mothers," but for me this has never applied, as I have been just like my mother from the beginning. True, I have inherited Mom's loose joints, easily bruising skin, headaches, and sometimes opinionated nature. But these traits are a price I'm happy to pay for the gifts she has given me: love of nature and music, enthusiasm for learning, the desire to be constantly improving myself and my surroundings, respect for my history and heritage, an appreciation for beauty, an eye for bargains, and the enjoyment of hearing other people's stories.
Dinah speaks often of her role as the heir of her mothers' memories and honors her place in the line of women that came before her. I am blessed to be one of the heirs of my mother's wisdom and the wisdom she inherited from the mothers before her. Happy birthday, Mom.
Me at graduation with the two great teachers of my life, Mom and Dad.
Oh Rosie. You make me cry. I was just lucky to have you come into my life and I just tried hard not to screw you up! Having children was my great joy and honor and I am just grateful to be able to love you all as well as the ones you ve chosen to add to our family.
ReplyDeleteWritten like a poet ... wonderful, appropriate, and fitting words for our mom. :)
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