I have scrapped a photo from this day before as a sort of tribute to the relationship I shared with my mom, but I’ve never scrapped any of these pictures with reflections on the memories I have from the day these photos were taken. In 2002, after years of struggling and two failed marriages, my mom was on her way to finding her way back to herself. She had been a mother since 1975, but before that, my mom was a stylish, independent woman who went to see Elvis in concert and went to dance clubs. She spent weekends in Atlantic City. She wore her hair teased as high as it would go (this wouldn’t change even through raising her kids). She was her own person and from what I know about that time, she enjoyed her life. I wouldn’t say that becoming a mother was the worst thing that happened to my mom, but I will say that marrying my father probably was. Under the weight of single motherhood to four children, my mother rarely found time to herself let alone time or money to do what she wanted. If we had an extra dollar she found a way to spend it on her kids. She sacrificed much to give us what we needed. By 2002, she was once again becoming that independent, free-spirited woman she had once been and she was doing so in the age of the internet. Her trip to my apartment that Saturday morning when we took these pictures was predicated on her need to have a picture for her online dating profile. Mom was taking the internet by storm. She shared opinions and hopes and dreams on the web. She met friends. She carved out her niche and she was ready to conquer online dating. All she needed was a photo and so the photo shoot was arranged. We tried various poses and settings and luckily I have all of the pictures. This was my mother as she found her way back to herself. As she once again began to classify herself as an individual and not by the name of mom. She was shy while we took pictures, self conscious, cute, actually and believe me, these are adjectives that I never would have used to describe my mother. We had a good time that day, playing with the camera and being silly. She left us only 2 years later, taken away from the new life she was building long before she was finished creating it. I have no guilt about my relationship with my mother, no regrets in the aftermath of her death, but I do regret that she never had the chance to fulfill her dreams. I regret the sacrifices she had to make to be the mother that she was. I’m thankful though, that I have these pictures. The pictures that tell the story of a strong woman, a woman who overcame so much, a woman who never gave up on the fight, a woman who gave so much of herself to those she loved, a woman who I called mom.
Supplies Used:
Pattern Paper: Bo Bunny, Garden Girl, Vines
Die Cuts: Bo Bunny, Garden Girl, Noteworthy
Flowers and Gems: Art C, Ephemera pack, Purple and Red
Remember Sticker: Basic Gray, Picadilly, Stickers
Ribbon: Michael's
It's a Beautiful Day Sticker: My Mind's Eye, Lost and Found 2, Sunshine "Lovely", Layered Stickers
Letter Stickers: Sassafras, Pink Glitter Alpha
Butterflies: Dollar Store
Tools: Making Memories Slot Punch; Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch
