Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Scorched Earth




This is the only childhood photo I have of my mother and I together. Like this photo, our relationship is faded, tattered at the edges. Things happened in our family, horrible things, that not only burned the bridge between us, but blew it into a million sharp fragments. We carry the shrapnel beneath our skin.

My mother and I have been estranged ten years. Recently, because of an illness in the family, we spoke. It was not a healing exactly, but it was something. I turned to my friend Laura Davis, who has written books on healing families, and asked her how I could even begin to heal with my mother.
“Start where you are,” she said.

But where are we?
We are zombies, walking wounded over the scorched earth, searching for signs of hope
behind the black-grey clouds of anger, pain, confusion.

Another year comes and goes and it’s Mother’s Day again, and I am bombarded with warm, fuzzy images on TV, in ads, in magazines, reminding me of what we are not.

There is no Hallmark card that fits us.
There is no card that says this;

You are my mother
You brought me – your choice at fifteen- into this world.
My DNA and history, my roots come through you
Your toxic relationships with men damaged me and yet in the aftermath,
I saw you stand alone, and understood how a woman could be fierce and strong
My scars, my tears, my nightmares, my courage, my fire, I owe to you
You created in me a warrior woman
For that I thank you

I’d like to list the things I love about you
But I’ve never really known you
I’ve seen glimpses– in the way you love animals and children, in your spirit of adventure, in the moments when you are soft and kind and vulnerable
Those glimpses are what gives me hope
It’s taken me a long time to forgive you
for the times you weren’t there to protect me
But I’m grateful for the times you were

I don’t know how to heal this sad and broken family
I only know it’s going to take something much bigger than me to map that road
I’ve spent years making peace with the bad memories,
while trying to hold on to the good
while praying we can get it right before we both leave this planet

You are my mother.
I wish you love. I wish you joy. I wish you hope.

I wish it were different.

I wish.






8 comments:

  1. How sad, Hollye. Yet, also beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Brian. I'm not sad today- I'm grateful for the good things, which are so plentiful, and hopeful.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. It's Brian again, logged in this time.

      Not that you are sad, Hollye, it's just a sad sentiment, and one that I can fully relate to. My parents are both still alive and they can't seem to spend more than 3 or 4 minutes on the phone with me, at which time they end it abruptly.
      I have tried so many things to be interesting to them, but they are just not interested, so I stopped trying.
      I am mostly OK with that, but still get sad. Which is what your post brought out in me.

      And isn't that what a artist wants, to affect her audience?

      Delete
    4. I think there are a lot of us with complicated and disappointing relationships with our parents and families. Probably more of us than the Hallmark crowd. But we get to make our own lives different- that's the beautiful part.

      I'm glad to know we connected and that you related to this post. I'll write happier stuff next week. : )

      Delete
  2. Beautifully said Hollye. I hope your Mom reads this column.

    ReplyDelete
  3. perfect.
    i wish ...
    everyone had your heart.

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing your point of view- thank you for taking the time to comment and be part of the conversation!
love,
Hollye