A Special Layout for Me and Mom on Mother's Day

This was my first Mother's Day without my Mom. I myself was spoiled by my family but my tears for my own mother were not far from the surface. I have some wonderful memories of Mom, in particular last Mother's Day when hubby took this photo of the two of us. Today I wanted to scrap it again. I've scrapped it before, but it was healing for me to spend some time in my studio today doing this layout of us together. 

On Friday, Dad called me to tell me there was an article in the Vancouver Sun by Valerie Rolfe, a mother and writer who lives in Victoria, that I should I read. It took me almost the whole weekend to get through it as I had to keep setting it aside but I did manage to read it to the end and I realized how fortunate Mom was not to suffer through her cancer like so many others have. What was familiar to me was the fact that Valerie speaks of a tall handsome oncologist who treated her mother, a Dr. Swenerton. He was the same oncologist who treated my Mom. An acquaintance of Dad's from his sailing adventures that Dad ran into one day when Mom was sick and he comforted Dad, telling him he would look after her. As soon as Mom's biopsy was sent down to the Cancer Clinic, Dr. Swenerton was up to see my Mom within the hour and then phoned me to assure me he would look after her. He is a true gentleman and a gentle soul.


At the end of the article her daughter explains how the day after her mother's death her father found an exerpt from a poem by Canon Henry Scott Holland called Last Words, which her Mom had written and left in her dresser drawer. She keeps it in her pocket and it inspired me to create the following layout. 

Death is nothing at all.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

I am I and you are you.

Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.

I am waiting for you, for an interval, 

Somewhere very near, just around the corner, 

All is well.

If you would like to read more of the article, you can find it here.   

This Mother's Day, like Valerie, I feel extremely grateful for my own daughter, happy for those who still have their mothers, and understanding toward those who have lost their mothers. I am also eternally grateful for my girlfriends who have helped me get through this extremely difficult year. I feel blessed to have you in my life. Happy Mother's Day!