The Last Word On Nothing

One of my favorite people lost her mother last week, and my friend’s heart-breaking loss left me reflecting on my own mom and how much she means to me. I love my mother for more reasons than I can articulate in one small blog post, but three of my most cherished photos go a long way to explaining it.

In the first one, we’re in New York City, and Mom is mimicking Lady Liberty. She means it in jest, but to me, the strength and confidence embodied in her raised hand and sure smile represent some of the most important values she taught me — strength, confidence and resilience. She showed me that we women are capable and deserved to be self-assured. She taught me that I could do anything I wanted to and that I was worthy of respect. I remember the time when she stood up at my end-of-the-year track banquet and raised her hand just like that and said how proud she was of me and my teammates. Girls could do anything boys could, she said. It wasn’t the cool thing to say, and I probably feigned embarrassment to my friends, but inside I agreed with everything she said and was so proud of her for standing up to say so. She taught me to be fearless when it comes to speaking truth.

In the second photo, it’s springtime and she’s rocking a red bikini. She’s not on a beach, she’s at a ski resort — spring skiing. I love this photo, because it reminds me of her fun-loving side. She taught me not to fear new experiences, but to seek and savor them. Her default answer to adventure has always been, let’s go!

In the third photo, Mom is looking into the sunset, pensive and thoughtful, and the photo’s slight blurriness and the wind in her hair give her a sense of motion and carefree confidence. She is beautiful and happy, and that’s exactly as she will alway remain in my mind’s eye. I’m spending this Mother’s Day with Mom, and I’ll savor every moment of it.