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Hi my friends,
I wanted to check in with you all to let you know that I am fully back in the store. It has been a rough 6 weeks as I sadly lost my beloved mom. She was a guiding force in my life throughout my childhood and well into adulthood. She showed me how to be the best mom I could possibly be and was the most devoted grandmother. Sadly, she was stricken with Parkinson’s disease and the last few years had been very difficult for her. We miss her fighting spirit every day.
The loss of my mom has made me realize, even more, the spectacular responsibility I hold as a mom to my own kids. I am their life’s teacher and I am accountable for this. We hold enormous power as parents and we have to use it responsibly and lovingly with a whole lot of wisdom. Fortunately, motherhood is very intuitive – I am always struck by the selflessness and courage mothers innately possess. I grew up in South Africa and watched young moms, often living on the margins of extreme poverty, perform their mothering tasks so admirably and with such consideration. No matter the hardship and no matter the challenge, I saw incredible devotion as these women used everything in their power, sacrificing their own needs to fulfill the needs of their children. It’s universal and it has been this way throughout the ages. The joy of motherhood is indescribable. It is no wonder that Instagram and Facebook are flooded with pregnancy pictures, baby pictures and cute smiling faces.
But here is the interesting part - the pendulum swings right back. Our childhood self grows up and that’s when we as kids-of take on the role our mothers took on for us. It is a beautiful cycle and I experienced it as my sisters and I nursed my mom on her last days. We did so with selflessness, just as my mom had done for us. It was our last chance to show our love and our gratitude for all she had given us. It made me realize that by teaching us to be great moms she had taught us to become great daughters too.
I carry this lesson on. My hope is to one day show my daughter the miracle of motherhood and with that the joy of daughterhood too. It goes hand-in-hand. I have received countless messages and texts from so many of you who have gone through the heartbreak of losing your own moms I say to you right back - your moms were clearly blessed with incredible daughters. The descriptions of your moms and the unity you shared has shown me something - having a great mom is a gift; the greater the gift, the greater the loss. The teachings however are never lost and I will forever hold them close.
Xo
Susan