Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide
Hope EdelmanRead
When a daughter loses a mother, the intervals between grief responses lengthen over time, but her longing never disappears. It always hovers at the edge of her awareness, prepared to surface at any time, in any place, in the least expected ways.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The loss of a mother creates lasting grief in a daughter's life, which may fade but never fully goes away.
In this quote, Hope Edelman articulates the profound and lasting impact of losing a mother from a daughter's perspective. While the intensity of grief may diminish over time, the feelings of longing and loss remain ever-present, ready to resurface unexpectedly, reminding the daughter of her mother's absence and the enduring bond they shared.
Themes
GriefMotherLossDaughterLongingAwareness
In practice
Example use cases
During a bereavement support group, sharing this quote can help others understand the ongoing nature of grief.
More from Hope Edelman
All quotes →I am fooling only myself when I say that my mother exists now only in the photographs on my bulletin board or in the outline of my hand or in the armful of memories I still hold tight. She lives on beneath everything I do. Her presence influenced who I was and her absence influences who I am. Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide.
Hope EdelmanRead
a mother's death also means the loss of the consistent, supportive family system that once supplied her with a secure home base, she then has to develop her self-confidence and self-esteem through alternate means. Without a mother or mother-figure to guide her, a daughter also has to piece together a female self-image of her own.
Hope EdelmanRead
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