What do you really know about your Mom? Do you know what her hopes, dreams and desires were? What was her favorite game as a child? Your mom grew up in a time very different from yours, with different beliefs, habits, and ways of doing things. Discover and preserve her journey, particularly her role as Mom. Her story is her legacy to you.
“You will devour these beautifully written—and very important—tales of honesty, pain, and resilience” (Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls) from fifteen brilliant writers who explore how what we don’t talk about with our mothers affects us, for better or for worse. As an undergraduate, Michele Filgate started writing an essay about being abused by her stepfather. It took her more than a decade to realize that she was actually trying to write about how this affected her relationship with her mother. When it was finally published, the essay went viral, shared on social media by Anne Lamott, Rebecca Solnit, and many others. This gave Filgate an idea, and the resulting anthology offers a candid look at our relationships with our mothers. Leslie Jamison writes about trying to discover who her seemingly perfect mother was before ever becoming a mom. In Cathi Hanauer’s hilarious piece, she finally gets a chance to have a conversation with her mother that isn’t interrupted by her domineering (but lovable) father. André Aciman writes about what it was like to have a deaf mother. Melissa Febos uses mythology as a lens to look at her close-knit relationship with her psychotherapist mother. And Julianna Baggott talks about having a mom who tells her everything. As Filgate writes, “Our mothers are our first homes, and that’s why we’re always trying to return to them.” There’s relief in acknowledging how what we couldn’t say for so long is a way to heal our relationships with others and, perhaps most important, with ourselves. Contributions by Cathi Hanauer, Melissa Febos, Alexander Chee, Dylan Landis, Bernice L. McFadden, Julianna Baggott, Lynn Steger Strong, Kiese Laymon, Carmen Maria Machado, André Aciman, Sari Botton, Nayomi Munaweera, Brandon Taylor, and Leslie Jamison.
Get to know your mom like never before and help her leave a legacy of thoughts, feelings, and stories of her life, with this journal to discovering who your mom truly is. How well do you know your mom? Do you know the stories that shaped her life? If the answer is no, The Story of Mom is here to help. Now you can preserve your mother’s memories and share her life story with your family in this lovely keepsake journal! Featuring dozens of questions prompting mom to recall and share memories, both big and small, this sentimental mother’s journal allows you to record the highs and lows, laughs, loves, and the wisdom she has learned throughout her life. Whether you are a mom writing down your own remembrances, or a child hoping to encourage your mom to share her stories, this book offers a beautiful way to share the experiences of your family’s life with future generations.
The workbook for My Mother's Story outlining the challenge, exercises and encouragement needed to make sure women's history is saved by following a writing recipe: the facts of your mother's life from beginning to end, in less than 2000 words, where you're just a footnote. This worldwide campaign posts stories at mymothersstory.org
"…it reaches far beyond dates of birth, marriage and death and into the heart and soul of a woman and her family…" Multi-Award-Winning Author P.M. Terrell What do you really know about your Mom? Do you know what her hopes, dreams and desires were? Did she live them? Your mom is so much more than the woman who raised you. She grew up in a time very different from yours—there were different beliefs, habits, and ways of doing things. Your mom has seen a lot in her life, getting to hear her journey will help you to understand her in a whole new light. Now is the time get to know her and to document her life. The only way to find out about your mom's story is to ask… because one day she won't be there anymore. When we reach old age we should know our lives mattered, that we mattered, that we are loved, happy and feel connected. This book offers a way to start conversations between you and your mom—in particular, elderly mothers. It is a guide which provides questions to ask, as well as how and when to ask them. Use this as a way to grow, heal and/or mend the relationship between mom and child; preserve this woman's journey through life and in particular her role as Mom. Her story is her legacy to you. "…insightful questions with thought provoking examples and explanations…" Christine Jackson Keywords: family history, mom’s history, generations, matriarch, genealogy, memories, mom, moms, hallmark, family drama, family healing, workbook, documenting family history, biography, autobiography, through the ages, grandma, mother, family, great grandmother, grandmother, memaw, nana, the past, recipes, traditions, family traditions, nonfiction, how to, gathering information, before mom dies, her story matters, different era, different expectations, mother's day, gift for mom, gifts for mom, mom presents, parents marriage, your birth, legacy, she’s more than your mom, discover, elder care, gifts for mom, retirement, sharing your story, mom’s journey, the old days, work, education, friends, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, connecting with mom, generation, the past, discovering the past, travel, history
Who was your mother before she was a mother? Essays and photos from Brit Bennett, Jennifer Egan, Danzy Senna, Laura Lippman, Jia Tolentino, and many more. In this remarkable collection, New York Times–bestselling novelist Edan Lepucki gathers more than sixty original essays and favorite photographs to explore this question. The daughters in Mothers Before are writers and poets, artists and teachers, and the images and stories they share reveal the lives of women in ways that are vulnerable and true, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always moving. Contributors include: Brit Bennett * Jennine Capó Crucet * Jennifer Egan * Angela Garbes * Annabeth Gish * Alison Roman * Lisa See * Danzy Senna * Dana Spiotta * Lan Samantha Chang * Laura Lippman * Jia Tolentino * Tiffany Nguyen * Charmaine Craig * Maya Ramakrishnan * Eirene Donohue * and many others
A powerful exploration of grief and resilience following the death of the author's son that combines memoir, reportage, and lessons in how to heal Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Helen Macdonald found solace in training a wild goshawk. Cheryl Strayed found strength in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. For Carol Smith, a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist struggling with the sudden death of her seven-year-old son, Christopher, the way to cross the river of sorrow was through work. In Crossing the River, Smith recounts how she faced down her crippling loss through reporting a series of profiles of people coping with their own intense challenges, whether a life-altering accident, injury, or diagnosis. These were stories of survival and transformation, of people facing devastating situations that changed them in unexpected ways. Smith deftly mixes the stories of these individuals and their families with her own account of how they helped her heal. General John Shalikashvili, once the most powerful member of the American military, taught Carol how to face fear with discipline and endurance. Seth, a young boy with a rare and incurable illness, shed light on the totality of her son's experiences, and in turn helps readers see that the value of a life is not measured in days. Crossing the River is a beautiful and profoundly moving book, an unforgettable journey through grief toward hope, and a valuable, illuminating read for anyone coping with loss.