For the last couple of weeks I’ve wanted to do a post about my mom, but I haven’t been able to find the right words—probably because I’m not sure what about her inspired me the most. Maybe it was how, as a very young bride, she raised two children and helped my dad regain his strength after he became partially paralyzed from polio. How--despite dropping out of Barnard College to marry her childhood sweetheart--she went on to mentor graduate students at Williams College. In the 1960’s, when men were still in charge of a majority of state and town programs, she headed up projects for a conservation commission in Massachusetts and was responsible for getting funding to establish nature study centers, a park and for expanding environmental education for children. She went on to do so many more things, painted decorative furniture and landscapes, wrote poetry, and raised four children in total. But most of all, she inspired me to never view anything as impossible for men or women. It is this same attitude that inspires the main characters in my stories. Sure there were struggles and difficulties in my mother’s life, many of them, but her focus was always on the beauty of the world around her and the limitless possibilities for anyone willing to go after and fight for their dreams.
Rest in peace, Mom.
Anna Wood Rice (October 2, 1921--April 26, 2013)
Thursday’s Children Blog Hop is devoted to posts about what inspires your writing. It’s open to all. Simply add your name to the link below.
She sounds like an amazing woman. I'm so sorry to learn that she died recently, but I hope she knew you were on your way to realizing your own dreams.
ReplyDeleteShe did. I told her it might not sell, but she insisted on congratulating me any way. She went quickly and without pain, so I'm grateful as well as sad.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post - what an amazing woman your mother was!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I wasn't sure if I wanted to post about her passing online but every time I sat down to write about what inspires me, she came to mind.
DeleteShe sounds like an amazing woman, and you're following in her footsteps by pursuing what you love, despite all the "despites" of writing.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about writing being full of dispites! It's plain packed with them.
DeleteThis is a really lovely and moving post. I'll echo what everyone else said in the fact that your mum sounds like an amazing woman.
ReplyDeleteThank you. She definitely was!
DeleteSo sorry for your recent loss. Your mom sounds wonderful and very inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my little tribute :)
DeleteWonderful tribute. Very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteInspiring was my intent. It's easy to not see or forget all the examples of strong woman in our own lives.
DeleteI'm sorry for your loss, Pat! Your mom sounds like a wonderful woman. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by. Everyone's comments and love is making me feel better.
DeleteUgh, that made me cry. I didn't realize what an amazing woman your mom was, Patty. I love hearing stories of real people who made great changes in their lives. Beautiful post. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting, I tend to think about what my dad when through when he was recovering from polio but this gave me a chance to see what it took through my mother's eyes as well. I'm convinced there isn't a much tougher job than being a mother and running a household.
ReplyDeleteThat's really lovely, Pat. It's wonderful that you had such a great role model in your mother. We need people like that to inspire us and show us the way. Great post, thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by. She was a great role model and I'm only beginning to know how much of one :)
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss, Pat. Your mom sounds like an amazing, inspiring woman. Thank you for sharing her with us.
ReplyDeleteI think until I wrote this I didn't even totally realize how much of an inspiration she'd been.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Happy Mother's Day to your Momma.
ReplyDeleteLove learning about her-your post gave me goose bumps. I'm inspired by her. I was just talking about how hardship and struggle give us the backbone to NEVER give up.
You are a very lucky girl to have a mother like her. :)
Thank you, Karen. I very much am.
ReplyDelete