The woman in the framed photograph is my mother. Mother hate, hate, hated to be photographed and always shied away whenever a camera was brought out. She dodged the camera as adroitly as the movie star eschews the paparazzi. So most of the photos that exist of her show her face turned away, or partially obscured behind her outstretched hand. But she thought this particular shot, which is actually her drivers license photograph, was absolutely brilliant and she even kind of showed it off --which was so unlike her. Though I cherish the photo today, I used to not care much for it, because she was sick when she posed for it and I guess I preferred to remember her when she was well.
But I think maybe her illness forced her to reexamine her issues with camera-shyness and maybe she realized that she had been silly to dread having her picture taken all those years when she was so healthy and so vibrant (and, yes, so beautiful). So off she went to the Department of Motor Vehicles that day and this time she stared right into the camera and she served them face! She died of cancer shortly after the photograph was taken in 1977. Today is her birthday.
Happy Birthday, Mom.
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4 comments:
Hey John, I'm just reading back over your blog and had missed this post. It made me cry! My aunt with whonm I have been travelling this past week has recently recovered from cancer (touch wood) and at 78 seams to be ok. She has always been more of a mother than my real mum (long story to be told over that bottle of wine sometime) and the past two years have been pretty manic, one way or another, but thank God she's better now. I know this is a happier situation than your own but I wanted to tell you I was touched by what you had written. Don't worry about publishing this comment, I really just wanted to drop you a line, personally.
Take care
Si x
Of course I'm going to publish your nice comments, Simon. Thank you.
I was thinking about my mother all weekend. Even though it's still warm and summer-like here in Minnesota in October, the leaves are now falling in earnest. Mom died in the Fall, so she always comes to mind this time of year.
I'm so happy your Aunt is doing so well! She sounds like quite the gal!
Hello John! I've been reading your blog from the very beginning. What you just said about your Mom brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful lady she was!
Hi Lucille,
Thank you --Yes, mom was beautiful and since it was her birthday again recently I thought I'd go back and read my old post. She would have been eighty this year (2013). Thanks also for taking the time to read my blog from the beginning!
XO,
John
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