My mom's birthday was this past Tuesday. [View all]

[seaglass]

On her birthday, this quote came up on my twitter feed:

“Nothing on earth can make up for the loss of one who has loved you.”
― Selma Lagerlöf

About this quote:
December 10, 1909: Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, 104 years ago today.

My mom died in July. The sadness has not lessened one bit and some of the events around her death I still cannot think about.

This quote was so meaningful for me - because it is true, because I'm a lover of literature and because I'm a feminist and the author became a first for women.

I've been feeling selfish about this quote. There is no one and will be no one who supports and loves me the way my mother did. She was always on my side no matter what (except sometimes if my husband and I disagreed she'd be on my husband's side - which I loved her for because she loved my husband as she would one of her sons). I'm feeling selfish about it because it feels like I care more about what she gave me rather than who she was.

I wish I had thought more about reminiscing about who she was and what made her happy before she died. Of course I know many of the stories of her life but a lot of it was about the hard parts, not as much about the fun parts. I am so fortunate that my mom saved everything because I have tangible proof about what mattered to her at different times in her life. Just this past week I found a pic of my mom and dad from when they were dating. She had written "Don and I Easter 1953" on the front and on the back of the pic it said "I love Don" and I could just imagine her as the 19 year old woman she was in that pic, in love and happy.

Anyway, I wanted to share this quote with you all and wish you peace over the upcoming holidays and new year.