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Rabbi Karen Levine's avatar

This is so beautiful, Julia. Thank you for this gentle, loving practice on a day that can bring a complex range of emotions.

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Anne Berlin's avatar

What a beautiful, poignant and important essay to read on Mother's Day. I'm so lucky to have read it today.

The pictures of your mom and you and your mom and sister are just so precious and I see that fierceness of love you write about in your mother's arms and eyes.

Such a different story, but I am relating (which is what happens when we write and share to the public), I know my mother fought fiercely to be a mother too. And you know I did as well. And you helped me through your work become a mother and even named my child during a private consultation, but the naming was one of the most important parts of helping me meet my child halfway.

Your essay reminded me the thing I miss so much about my mother was her softness and tenderness. I had that.

You ask your readers to opine, Where does it hurt honey, it hurts in my heart, I miss that sweet softness and tenderness so much. That is the part I wish I could trust to rely on in myself and I recognize more than anything I don't think I can live without in my marriage. The thing I also realized is I can find that softness and trust in that everlasting tenderness through the ultimate mother within me. I can provide that kindness to myself. If only...I still struggle.

Just a beautiful, beautiful piece, starting with God as you write about the force, as a she.

The sentence ",,,the crime of being born." Catastrophic feeling, realization, described like that. No words.

Thank God your mother kept choosing life after everything and so much loss, and grief, and you pass on that message to everyone in your work, your words, your way, and you help people choose life if that's what they want and fight for it. You certainly helped me choose life when all I saw was grief everywhere, when my mother passed away, unexpectedly.

I printed this piece out and put it in my current / journal / notebook. I love when you write a piece -- always, always I learn, feel and like when I talk with you, see so many things differently.

You really open up eyes!

Your books, essays always open my eyes for sure.

Today on Mother's Day I will give myself a gift, the gift of the Kindness Imagery you shared..

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