Mothers’ Day Connection
I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that this weekend offers us a chance to celebrate Motherhood and all it entails…
I managed to see my own sweet mother for about an hour today – it was a lovely hour, jammed with non-stop talk and a million broad smiles. I gave her a scarf. And a hug. I guess in the scheme of things it’s pretty slack really. I should really make the effort to go spend part of ACTUAL Mother’s Day with her… but Mum doesn’t really mind – she has the house to herself this weekend and quite likes her own company. It’s one of the many things we share, this little quirk of enjoying a little solitude every now and then.
I am processing photos tonight (as Mr Incredible camps out at a draft about an hour’s drive from home) and as I sat here it occurred to me how little I mind my own company. I guess when you have children, and it seems to be full-on activity or questions or routine chores, that solitude becomes something of a luxury. Not that I don’t adore them all (Violet, Dash and Mr I) but my little bits of ‘me’ time are cherished too. It’s when I sit here at my computer and process photos and choose a few words to go with them before uploading a few onto this very blog. I am never lonely while I can play with my ‘ancient’ version of Photoshop (PS7) on images snapped during my day. Very affirming. Very silent. Very peaceful.
It’s something my mother understands. My dad is a whole different beast – he’s an action man. As I have alluded to before, my father is a force of nature. He achieves. My mother, while still an achiever, has an aura of stillness around her. It’s something people often comment on – they notice this sense of groundedness and peace and quiet confidence. She is the ultimate counterbalance to her life-partner, there is no doubt. I take after my Dad with my detirmination and enthusiasm for things – I see much of him in the face that looks back at me in the mirror. We are both dark complexioned, broad-shouldered, dark-eyed and have combustible tempers. But there are flashes of my tiny blonde-haired, blue-eyed mother too. You just have to look a little harder.
My mother is quite a talented artist (although she has stopped her painting, despite my urging her to pick up her brushes again) and she understands the ‘arty farty’ side of me. It was she who steadied me when I suddenly gave up studying Architecture at uni, who calmed my father and supported my new career in media. She doesn’t blink in the slightest at the strange urges I have once I have a Nikon in my hand.
For instance, she completely ‘gets it’ when I feel the need to stop the car, not once…
not twice…
but THREE times in almost exactly the same spot (by a highway) to shoot this windmill.
It’s not even our windmill. It’s just a windmill that I like the look of. My husband tries to comprehend this bizarre behaviour. Why would I DO such a thing? What purpose does it serve? My father doesn’t even try to understand such activity. If there is no ‘time and motion’ benefit, he writes it off as waste of time. And to be honest, I could not possibly give a reasoned verbal reply as to why I do it. I just don’t know. I just know…. I HAVE to do it. Because of the light. Because of the mood. Because it looks different somehow and I LIKE the differences. And the sameness. See? How is THAT an explanation?
My Mum? She needs no explanation. She just smiles and say: That’s lovely darling. And she means it.
And that would be enough.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mum.
Thanks for ‘getting’ me.
Oh, and thanks for helping me to be the kind of mother I never thought I’d be capable of.
God knows I was clueless when I started and I’m still learning, but I’m so lucky to have learned the basics from a mother who ‘gets’ her kids’ quirks.
Don’t kill me for posting your photo okay?
The world just needs more smiles like yours…
11 Comments
Jenny Talia
Love this post BB – can I just copy & paste it to my blog for the day?? LOL
Happy Mother’s Day to you my friend…
DAnna
A lovely tribute to your mom! (And your dad, too!) I’m lucky to have a mom that “gets” me, too! (Could relate to the stopping to take a photo 3 times at the same spot comment!) And I’m lucky to have a daughter that’s artistic with a thirst to try new things (besides being an artist and a librarian, she’s currently exploring the world of women’s flat track roller derby at the age of 40!) Happy Mother’s Day!
Kelly
What a beautiful tribute to your beautiful mom!
Thanks, too, for not posting all five thousand of my frustrated attempts to comment yesterday! At least I got the avatar situation under control.
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..(Least) Favorite Five – Bugs! =-.
gramps
My Mum is long gone to a better place but I still miss her. Not sure she ever “got me” but always let me go ahead anyway.
Wonderful tribute to your Mum. Thanks
gramps
Leenie
Thank heavens for moms who understand us. We seem to gravitate toward guys who don’t. And that is probably a good thing. Thank heavens that both of them will humor us when we insist on stopping and running with the camera to catch the light and the look.
debby
“I gave her a scarf. And a hug. I guess in the scheme of things it’s pretty slack really.”
You know, I disagree. You gave her a much bigger gift than that, and I’m sure that it is cherished.
Happy Mother’s Day to the lovely ‘Anonymous’ who comments on my blog. (PS…I did not know that you painted…that’s neat. BB? We must see some of your mother’s work, some time.
.-= debby´s last blog ..Friday Weigh In. =-.
Elizabeth
A beautiful post BB….your Mother will be so proud of the words you have written….I seriously don’t think she will kill you for posting her photo….what a lovely kind face she has, it fits your description beautifully.
Happy Mothers Day to you and your Mother and all the Mums in Bloggyland.
Pencil Writer
Sweet post. Your Mom sounds like a wonderful lady, just like her daughters. I really get the “stopping again and again” or every minute or so or just going on and on about how the clouds change so quickly and the light and shadows and colors change everything so quickly. I thought I was one of the only ones to do that! My husband kinda doesn’t get it either, but he does indulge me! Hope your Mother’s Day–and your Mom’s was/is (Still) wonderful. You’ve made mine better. Please tell your Mom that she is beautiful–and so are her daughters and granddaughters.
Theresa in Alberta
What a lovely Mothers day tribute to your mom!!! Hello BB’s mom, (waving from Canada eh)
Julie in Australia
I agree…a really lovely tribute to your Mum BB…you are both so very lucky you still have each other. I visit my Mum and Nanna in Rookwood. A beautiful busy place these days…but not very satisfying.
And Yep…I totally understand your obsession with the lens…I think I have written here before about my quirk with little Mushrooms out in my backyard lawn…theres no reason I have to run out there and photograph them in the mornings as soon as I see that there are new ones, but I do it happily and I think I’m afraid that if I dont they will have come, gone and been forgotten. They always have unusual formations and are usually slightly different from each other. One day I will create a little book for all the photos I have. And I dream about getting out of the city, to a place with a bit of a low lying dam and getting 6am shots of the early morning mist over the water. Thank the lord I have a hubby who understands my passion with my lens. Hope everyones Mothers day was a good one…
Lynda Lockhart
Really awesome read. Honestly..