Mothers and Daughters

Emma's dolls

An old friend Emma has just posted some beautiful Babushka (or are they Matriushka?) dolls on Facebook, which reminded me of women begetting women. Hopefully she won't mind me stealing her image as the inspiration for this post...

The dolls lead me to look for a particular Gwen Harwood poem in my 'CrossCountry' book of Australian Verse. But on the way, I stumbled across a lighter, better one by David Campbell:

     Mothers and Daughters

     The cruel girls we loved
     Are over forty,
     Their subtle daughters
     Have stolen their beauty;

     
     And with a blue stare
     Of cool surprise,
     They mock their anxious mothers
     With their mother's eyes.

Clever, hey? And poignant, without being downright depressing, as Harwood's poems tend to be. You can always look up ''Mother Who Gave Me Life'' if you want to read an anguished tribute to a mum at the end of her days...

Me, PorPor and Mum, 1994.

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day to all those women fortunate enough to have carried, borne and nurtured offspring. It's the most important & precious job you'll ever have.

Special praise to my own Mum, who has nurtured and loved me these forty years; influencing so much of who I am today. I hope I haven't stolen your physical beauty, but rather I pray I'll increasingly reflect your inner beauty as I grow older and wiser.

And in memory of  my beloved Por Por, who cheerfully bore and raised 7 sons and 1 extraordinary daughter. If I inherit just half of her resilience and generosity of spirit, I'll be blessed indeed.