Dear E,
Sometimes you catch me off guard and your mannerisms stop me in my tracks. When this happens, you can bet there is a knot in the pit of my throat as my eyes begin to glaze over. Little mannerisms, your stride as you walk out of a room, the way you cross your legs when you relax or concentrate, a goofy face you make… it’s just like him, my dad. Then there are your interests, your creativity or the way you point out a beautiful sunrise and bask in awe of its natural beauty, just like him. But above all is your ability to empathize with anyone or situation, this is profoundly like him. The purity of your heart to help others and encourage them along is captivating. You will drop anything to help, with a smile on your face and heart of joy.
This afternoon you comforted your sister. She had made a mistake and you gently walked over to her and explained that beautiful things can come from mistakes. My back got a little straighter as I stopped the meal prepping and turned an ear to listen.
“I made a painting just the other day, I made a huge mistake right here.” You showed your sister your canvas, “see, that’s not supposed to be like that, but I continued to paint and made it into something beautiful. You can do the same.”
E, your ability to go deep within the empathetic places of your heart is truly something to behold. I only wish you had gotten to build a relationship with the man you remind me of every single day. While bittersweet, I wish my father knew of the lasting legacy of kindness he passed along… I know he is beaming down upon you. The tenderness of your heart not only makes me proud, but would have made him proud too.
Love,
Mom
Welcome to Artifact Motherhood. This is a collaboration of artists from around the world who have come together to share our stories of the joys and struggles of our journey. Through our writings and visual records, we want to create memories that are more than photographs with dates written on the back. These are the artifacts we are leaving behind for our children and for generations to come. Up next is the amazingly talented Jessie Nelson click here to follow the link.