The last time I saw my mother was March 19, when my family congregated for brunch to celebrate my brother’s 40th birthday. As my mother looked around the table at my husband and me, our two children, and my brother, his wife and their two children, she beamed with pride. “Look at all we’ve created,” she spoke softly to my father, her face luminous with pleasure. Although only 65 when she died suddenly two weeks later, my mother had been living her dream. There she was, looking on, as her babies had grown up, gotten married and started families of their own. In a way, her life’s work was complete.
Nothing could have prepared me for this loss. Facing each new day without my mother is much like waking up to a world without a sky – unimaginable. I’ve been looking for ways to articulate the tsunami of emotions – the heartbreak, despair, anger, sorrow, confusion – engulfing my heart in the days following her passing, but I’ve arrived at the realization that words alone cannot give voice to the depth of these feelings.
In the days immediately following my mother’s death, I gazed out the windows bewildered as people walked in and out of restaurants, their lives seemingly unfettered while my world was imploding, rendering me crippled. As a mom of an infant and toddler, there has never been a time in my life when I’ve felt like I needed my own mother more. Although 80 miles separated us, my mother was the first and last phone call of every day and was at the very heart of everything I do. She was the only person who was truly interested in the most mundane minutiae of my daily life. And in the frequent moments of pandemonium that often define motherhood, my mother was my guiding light and penultimate voice of reason. I long to hear the sound of her voice on the other end of the phone, offering guidance, wisdom, and telling me stories about my own childhood. And when my children reach a new milestone or do something to make me laugh, it feels slightly imperfect because I can’t share it with my mom. It is in these bittersweet moments when I miss her most. You see, it doesn’t matter how old you are. As a woman, you never stop needing your mother, and I will never stop needing mine.
My mother put her entire being into raising me and my brother and ensuring that we had every opportunity to learn, grow and achieve our dreams. And although she was a selfless woman who loved her children unconditionally, she was the quintessential Jewish mother who also made sure to remind us of her sacrifices and hold us to the highest of expectations. These expectations and my fear of failing to meet them served as catalyst for academic success and all aspects of personal achievement. In fact, although I’m now a grown woman with a family of my own, I am still very much guided by an inherent desire to make my mother proud.
If I am to make any sense at all out of her death, it is that life is both fleeting and precious. Seasons change, calendar pages flutter in the breeze, and time rapidly accelerates as we get older. As I continue on this surreal odyssey as a motherless mother, there is only one thing about which I am certain – I will take one day at a time and will instill in my children all of the values my mother worked so tirelessly to instill in me.
Money doesn’t buy happiness.
Those who knew my mother know that her life was marked by neither glitz nor glamour. She wasn’t at all impressed with worldly possessions and turned away from most material things. She was a minimalist who felt most comfortable wearing a paint-splattered grey hooded sweatshirt. I recall the time when I bought my first pair of Louboutins and she eagerly pointed out to me that the bottoms of my shoes were red, as if I hadn’t known. While Mom had very little appreciation for the finer things in life, she was always amused by my love of all things fashion and indulged me with frequent shopping trips as a child. In fact, some of my favorite childhood memories with her are afternoons spent in a mall dressing room as she tirelessly brought in one outfit after another for me to try on. Although she humored me and my affinity for inanimate objects, my mother also taught me that true happiness can be found only in relationships with people and through acts of kindness. As such, her legacy is not one of material things accumulated in her life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.
Give back to the community.
At any given time, much of my mother’s kitchen counter tops would be concealed by heaping piles of calendars, return address labels and other paraphernalia sent by the charities to which she religiously donated. The Humane Society, Paralyzed Veterans, and Jewish National Fund were just a few of the causes to which she felt so very committed. From a very early age she instilled in me that tzedakah – charity – is the most important of mitzvot. Her unshakable moral compass, righteousness, and fervent belief in donating to those less fortunate exemplified her adherence to the fundamental principles of Jewish life.
Always carry a jacket with you.
It could be an August afternoon with sweltering temperatures and stifling humidity, but my mother would never forget to carry a jacket with her and always reminded me to follow in suit. Any failure to do so would be irresponsibly flirting with the risk of catching a cold. You see, my mother was the embodiment of the universal caricature of Jewish mothers. What if it’s cold in the restaurant? What if they have the air conditioning on? These were real possibilities, and you know what? She was usually right!
Be honest and true to yourself in all of your endeavors.
My mother approached life with an unwavering commitment to brutal honesty. Always eager to voice her opinion and expose any injustice, she was truly a force to be reckoned with. Her incredibly quick wit and unfiltered opinions made her the most perfect sounding-board, and I consulted with her before making the majority of my important decisions. My mom was also not at all skittish when it came to offering unsolicited critiques and suggestions on my clothing choices, and although she couldn’t be bothered with her own wardrobe, she had a keen eye for fashion and meticulous attention to detail. Who needs Fashion Police when you have a Jewish mother?
You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
Anyone who had met my mother could attest to her ferocious determination. There was nothing this woman could not do. A jack-of-all-trades, she regularly mowed her 1.5 acres of grass on a sit-down tractor and took on laborious household projects such as once installing kitchen counter tops, wallpapering, scraping away popcorn ceilings and painting a myriad of rooms in addition to arduously power-washing the exterior of her house. Equal parts Herculean and stubborn, my mother refused my father’s pleadings to hire professionals to perform tasks she felt she could execute better herself. My brother and I would win Halloween costume contests at elementary school every year thanks to my mom’s over-the-top homemade costumes (think 6-foot tall giraffe). She even outdid herself constructing a Tudor dollhouse for me furnished with carpet, linoleum floors and wallpaper in every room. My mother loved projects and her creativity knew no bounds. As a knitter extraordinaire, she would make the most exquisite sweaters for my children and even my dog, whose custom threads turn heads on every street corner.
In her absence, I am left with sadness so profound that sometimes it feels like I’m drowning in grief. While the relationship I have with my mother is one that transcends the limitations of the physical world, I can’t help but feel robbed of her at a juncture when I still so heavily relied on her guidance. If there is a silver lining to be found, it is that the principals and values she so deeply ingrained in me read like a transcript to my ever-present inner voice. My greatest wish is that my kids will always know how much she loved them and how they had made her life complete. If I can be half the mother to them that she was to me, I know I will have succeeded. And if she were here right now, she would most certainly be wondering what all this mishegoss is about. I can practically hear her say, “Enough already, Melissa. Go live your life … and put a coat on – it’s chilly out.”
Lullabies and Louboutins 
Melissa, I have only met your mother a couple of times, but spoke with her almost daily because I worked with your Father. I’m reading this blog that you have so beautifully written. It brings chills and tears to my eyes. Your mother may not be physically with you, but she is still there watching, smiling and feeling very proud of what her children and grandchildren have been able to achieve now and in the future. Your Dad is a wonderful man and I know your Mother was too. I can’t say that I know how you feel, but time will heal your anger, heartbreak, sorrow and confusion. I am thinking of you and your family. Stay strong and know that people love you.
Carmen
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Really sorry to hear about your loss! I lost my mum at 5 and I’m so scared about mothering without her! xx
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These are such, such important lessons to remember – I’m so sorry to hear of your loss lovely. xx
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I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. What a beautiful tribute to her, she would be so proud.
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I’m so sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was a lovely person and will be missed by all who knew her.
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I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my mother on April 6th of this year and it makes me so sad that our 14-month old son and any future children won’t get to know her. But like you so perfectly said, our moms are now our inner voices. I can already hear myself telling my son at the toy store, “It’s good to have wants. Wants build character.”
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I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot understand your pain , we cant even have an idea of it.Only thing I can say is be strong.
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Hugs. Sorry for your loss.
I can only agree, that losing your mum when you’re a mum, really puts things into perspective, and makes you rethink everything you’re doing for your own children. I’ve found I’m subconsciously turning into my mum (mine died 3 years ago when N was 3yo) which is a little scary, but does help me remember her. I’m lucky because N was also old enough to remember things about her too.
Keep holding on to those great memories and values – they will see you through as though she was still here with you.
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Beautifully written! You give your mother tremendous accolades!
She was a wonderful-person; one we will never forget!!
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thank you, Melissa. Mom was right. You are a great writer.
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Beautiful, sweet friend. I love you and you are still in my prayers. ❤️
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Melissa, this is so beautiful. It made me cry. I only knew your mother for a short while but I have such great memories of her…after all, she made our first apartment in NYC possible with her incredible negotiating skills and was the topic of so many conversations. Whenever I had a bad day, you’d always make me laugh with another “Jay-z” story. She was a very special woman and I know how proud you have made her. This “doll” is sending much love to you…
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This is such an inspiring post, got me all emotional ❤
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I knew Janet pretty well for 50+ years and I must say this is so true and so well written…Put on that coat…
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I’m so sorry for your loss, just reading this made me emotional!
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I am so sorry for your loss. Take as much time as you need to grieve. It seems like she was so wonderful and did so much to make a great impact for those she was around. Keep her memory alive every chance you can. Prayers and hugs.
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I am so sorry for your loss but I admire your strength! Thank you for sharing your story 🙂
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This is such a heartfelt post!! So sorry for your loss I know the feeling of losing a mum and parenting your own children too. xox
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Wow! you are very brave to post such a sincere story about yourself and your mother. These are the same feelings many other people have, thanks for sharing. Your mom sounds like a wonderful person and i know that you will entrust all of her ideals upon your children. Just know that you will come out a stronger and better mother after this ordeal.
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I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. She sounds like an amazing woman. What a beautiful tribute to her!
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Melissa,
I’m sorry to hear about your mother.
I really appreciated this post, especially with how much I am going through the same thing… well… “Parenting” without a Mother… not necessarily “Mothering”. 😉
Baby Becca is only 4 months old, and every day I watch her do something new, and want to call my mother to tell her about it. Last night, she spiked a fever of 103 and my mother would have been the first person I would have called, even before the doctors. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t look at my daughter and am amazed at how she grows, and every time I am still saddened by how much joy my mother would have gotten, just to know her granddaughter for a day. But that wasn’t in the cards for us.
Your mother got to meet your boys, and you got to experience the joy they brought her, even for the short time… Relish those memories. That in itself is a gift we don’t all get. Plus, take all the lessons that you enumerated in this post… and pass them on. I don’t know what I think about our mother’s “Looking down on our little ones” or “watching over them”… but I DO know their lessons continue to help us raise our little ones, whispering in our ears and reminding us of little things, even after they aren’t able to send us the emails or text messages themselves.
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What an amazing Mom you have, may God bless and continue to comfort you during this time of loss but remembrance of loving Mom you have! As Christian mom, I remember my Mom and her Mom telling each gen of kids to do this and always be prepared esp guarding against a cold! And I do this with my son too!
Ursula
http://www.blueridgebeautyblogger.com
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My Mom died suddenly and very unexpectedly 1.5 years ago when I was 34 yrs old. Anytime my kids do something amazing or when I’m sick, I still dial her phone number to talk to her and then my Dad answers. It’s still so hard. Sending you love.
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My mother died unexpectedly at 60 almost 2 years ago and I can relate fully to what you wrote. I take pride in the fact that I also got the speak-your-mind-at-all-costs gift from her. She’s definitely a part of me. ❤
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I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m sure your mother is proud of you and with you in some way, providing guidance.
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Oh I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my Mum in 2014 she was only 62. I had a 2 year old and a 5 month old at the time and it completely turned my world upside down. I am still absolutely lost without her, but I feel that she is with me always. xox
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Sorry for your loss! Such an emotional piece of writing
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Your mother sounds like a marvelous person. My kids will never know the woman who was their grandmother.
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I’m so sorry for your loss. I don’t know what I’d do without my mommmy. Last year at this time she stayed in the hospital with me when I was having preterm labor.
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I recently met someone that is good friends with your mother … she shared your blog. Thinking of you – great blog, I’m sure she would proud.
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Wonderful post remembering your mother. I can’t imagine mothering without my mother, I am so sorry for your loss.
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