by Writing Barn Intern Macy Lane
“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
– Abraham Lincoln
With Mother’s Day approaching, I’ve had thoughts of my mom in my mind and heart. I suppose my youngest son has too. Earlier this week, I received this text from him.
“I don’t know Grandmother at all and I’d like it if you could just write about what she was like. What music did she enjoy? Did she have a favorite band or musician or album? Favorite foods, her favorite things? What are things she would’ve said to me? And what would I be like if she was still here or if I had met her? What would she tell me if I asked her for advice?
My son is now 19 and my mom, after whom he is named, passed away exactly six weeks before he was born. In the years since she left us, I have often longed to have her a phone call away so that I could ask her advice and find out her thoughts. I am happy (and proud) that my son has prompted me to reflect on her and our relationship.
If you still have your mother or a mother figure in your life, I encourage you to take the time to ask the questions you’ve longed to know her answers to. Sit and listen and soak in all of the stories she is willing to share. These moments are fleeting and once gone, all that’s left are the spaces in your memory where you’re left to fill in the gaps.
Had I known how short our time with her would be, I would have written all of my questions and her responses in a journal similar to these found HERE. Whether she writes and records, or you do, getting these special memories recorded is a true gift. Here are some things I wish I had asked her that perhaps will spark conversations for you to have with the mother figure you love and cherish.
*What were you like as a child?
*How have you changed since then?
*What are your favorites? (book, author, movie, food, song, color, memory, holiday, etc.)
*What is the best piece of advice you can give me?
*How am I like you? How are we different?
*What is the most challenging obstacle you’ve overcome?
*What is one of your shining moments in life?
*What are you the most proud of?
*What do you wish you had known when you were my age?
*What is your best trait?
*What is something you know you need to improve about yourself?
*Tell me a story about something mischievous you did.
*Tell me about a time you really lost your temper.
*Tell me about a time your heart was broken.
*Tell me what you hope for your future.
The list could be endless, and I am sure you have your own wonderings about the special person in your life.
I don’t yet know what I will write to my son about his grandmother. It feels daunting and heavy, but also hopeful and beautiful. I am grateful that he wants to know. Slowing down and reflecting on who she was as a person, and as my mother, may very well be the best Mother’s Day Gift I’ve received in a long time.
I wish all of you a Mother’s Day full of memories, magic, and love.
“We are born of love; Love is our mother.”
– Rumi
About the Author
Macy Lane is a lifelong reader and writer currently residing in Austin, TX. She is the proud mother to three amazing young men and two awesome bonus children. She’d like to wish Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers. If you’ve lost a child, lost a mother/mother figure, or are longing to be a mother, she’s thinking of you today and every day. This Mother’s Day she will be reminiscing about her mother, Christine Davis Tucker, who left us all far, far too early.