Saturday, April 12, 2008

Mother and child


One artist who inspires me is Mary Cassatt.  She painted many scenes of Mother and child, raising the status of domesticity at a time when landscapes and still lives were the fashion.

There is no love in this world that can compare to the unique bond of a Mother and child.  My very own Mother is an inspiration to me.  I never quite understood this, until I became a Mother.  The status of Mothers all over the world was elevated that day.  I feel this love from the paintings of Mary Cassatt.  One can feel the special touch of a mother in her work.
Several years ago, I found this lovely book for my Mother, a journal of memories.  It is a journal where you fill in the blanks with words and photos.  I gave this to her and she replied, "I never knew you loved me this much."  I think it was the best gift that I ever gave her.

Here is a photo of my Mother and I as she ties my shoe lace, pregnant with my little brother, number six.  I am the fifth child of seven.   Having three of my own, I can only imagine and shake my head as to how she managed to raise seven.  A huge job.
My mother was born in a time of what I would like to think as "glamourous" - when Hollywood was elegant and people dressed up daily, not just for special occasions.  One never left the house without earrings and lipstick.  This photo was take of her as a young lady and I always thought my mother could have fit right in, in Hollywood.   Gorgeous, right!  A domestic Goddess.
Today, I honor my very own friend, creator and Mother.
Happy Birthday Mom.
This August, my Mother and Father will celebrate Sixty years of Marriage.  They make it all look so simple.
Cheers to my Mother, from child number five.  

16 comments:

simply seleta said...

What a meaningful [and tear jerking] post. What a beautiful mother you have, both inside and out. Showering your love on seven wonderful children is quite an accomplishment.

Her love filled up "your cup" so you could pass it along to your sweet children!

Interesting our posts are on similar subjects, but mine is presented in a more twisted way. Ha ha ha...

Robin said...

What a lovely tribute to your mother, you've inspired me to call my mom right now.

PS - I love the glamour shot at the end. Isn't it interesting how much more sophisticated women looked back then, even though their lives were probably much harder than ours are now?

littlebyrd said...

Beautifully written. How lucky she must feel to know how much you love her! And your right, she does look very old hollywood in the photo.

Marnie said...

A lovely tribute to your Mother and how she must treasure your book - love, love and more love. I miss my mother - she died much too early. I am going to use the Mother's Keepsake journal in reverse. from mother to daughter.

Liz said...

I just called Mom and read her your post for her birthday. She loved it and is having a very wonderful day. Doug is taking she and Dad to dinner atop th etower with a view of Thunder!

ArchitectDesign™ said...

I love how a group of these impresionism women really conquered the system by doing what they could and doing it very well. They might not have been able to go paint out in the open like men, but they painted their home lifes, motherhood and things considered 'womenly' and in time have surpassed a lot of men impressionists in popularity!
Your mother is really beautiful -women did seem to take more care in their appearance back then -we have a lot of photos of both of my grandmothers looking so glamorous as well -even just at family picnics! Even men wore suits and ties everyday - every man looks handsome dressed up! Now we all wear jeans and t-shirts, men and women -so sad. NO one looks good in that - it's today's uniform!

Allysha said...

Your mother is lovely. That is a great photograph.

Miss Cavendish said...

It is truly amazing how, upon giving birth, we almost instantaneously understand our mothers. Happy birthday to your mum!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness! She looks like she could be Ava Gardners's sister! She's beautiful! A lovely tribute.

pve design said...

Thank-you to each of your for your posts, for your thoughts and kind comments.

Elizabeth said...

This was a very kind message about your mother. I liked reading it.

Mrs. Limestone said...

How inspiring...love that lasts through time and generations.

Mrs.French said...

So beautiful..she looks like a movie star. Lovely tribute.

Kwana said...

Oh, Patricia Happy Birthday to your beautiful mother! This was a lovely tribute for an amazing and inspiring women.

London Calling said...

Touching tribute to your Mother. Happy Birthday to her!

Fine Little Day said...

Your mother was gorgeous!