… like a motherless child … This famous Spiritual is known the world over, maybe because it touches the orphan child in us. The lament of being a long, long way from home speaks of the universal desire to feel safe, to be accepted, have one’s talent nurtured and simply be held. Listen to this deep-felt ache in Odetta’s voice from a late recording on You Tube.
In most cases we leave the nest in order to become our own person, but winning the obstacle race of growing into an adult and finding self-worth is a remarkable achievement, made easier when a child is welcomed and loved by a parent, a mentor or a community.
The latter presents a grim challenge for people who are forced to leave their homes, for whatever reasons. Affluent societies are now faced with a surge of refugees. There is much goodwill, but equally resentment, often based on ignorance. Public debates seem to miss the acknowledgement of how the wealth that brought about commerce and stability in the west was and is part-indebted to slavery and the exploitation of defenseless countries. The lesson for humility and tolerance is implicit – and ongoing.
Before I get carried away, this post is in memory of my mother, who died three decades ago to this day.
I miss her, and yet …
Sometimes I feel like my mother is near At home, right here in my heart
Course of Mirrors 
thank you… a song i often sing
LikeLiked by 1 person
So deeply felt, the song has become connective and universal ♥
LikeLike
Is that a photograph of you together? Lovely post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Philippa, yes, this dazed little being, four weeks old, is me in the arms of my mum. Photographs then were still coloured with albumen glaze.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely post. The song and post speak to the endurance of both children and mothers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It seems a loop of endurance, of the child in the mother, and of the mother in the child, let alone the enduring complexities of the mother archetype.
LikeLiked by 1 person
a favorite song by a favorite songstress … I appreciate the seamless segue from then to now and back; so much humility and tolerance in such few lines. thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sarah. This song pops when I feel a little lost, a reminder to reach deep for what cannot be lost.
LikeLike
Becoming mother My motherless child found love , becoming grandmother -a girl – the history of motherless women and men in my lineage begins to loosen its grip … love always wins no matter how long it takes !
Thank you for sharing this sweet tale dear Ashen 🌸🌺
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Jenny. I hear you, a child, a grandchild, brings healing. And for the child, no matter what trials await, being welcomed is a blessing and a great source of strength throughout life.
LikeLike
Pingback: … into the unknown … | Course of Mirrors