I Lost My Mom When I Was 13. This Is How I’ve Found Healing

Photo: Jessica Felicio, Unsplash

This post is a part of a special series Mom/Me: An exploration of motherhood and beyond. This collection of poetry, essays, and visual media showcase the many facets of motherhood and our relationship to it. In partnership with Mater Mea.

By Latoya S. Felder

Mother's Day is always difficult for me. It reminds me that I don't have my mother here with me.

My mother had four children—three boys (including a set of twins) and me, the only girl—at a young age. My oldest brother went to live with his father and my twin brothers and I were put in foster care due to my mom being in an abusive marriage.

My relationship with my mom was estranged at certain ages, but right before her death, it became the relationship I was yearning for. We bonded, engaging in mother-daughter activities such as shopping, dining out, road trips, and girl talks. We were enjoying our time together, building a relationship after foster care.

My mom lost her parents at a young age and was the only child. Now that I am older, I understand that my mother did the best she could with the tools she had during that time. I now have a greater admiration for her: I see my mother as a strong, perseverant, and virtuous woman. I believe my mother would have been very transparent with me about life if her own life hadn’t been taken away too soon.

Read the full post on Mater Mea.