My mother passed away when I was 20. I had my first son when I was 31. These are my thoughts on mothering without her.

Dear Mum, Today's your birthday... AND Mother's Day... fancy that. I can't believe you did this too. That you once held me in your arms when I was a baby. That you went through the excitement and anticipation of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth, the crazy rollercoaster of becoming a mother. Did you also feel your identity shift? Did you feel your priorities change? Did you see the world with new eyes? Did you really love me THIS much? I have so many questions. I was your dau

One of the things I love about Judaism is the way they handle death. Hear me out… When my mum died when I was 20, we were rushed out of the room. Out of sight out of mind. Everyone promptly started to fill us with alcohol and distract us from what had happened. I was young, had no experience with death, and didn’t have the fortitude or confidence to go against the grain. The funeral was formal. We were distanced from everything about the death and person we were burning. An e