These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions for me—reflecting on birthdays, family, and the passage of time. Last year, I said goodbye to my mother just after she whispered ‘happy birthday’ to my late father. This year, on August 16th, I found myself unexpectedly overwhelmed with grief on her birthday—the first one I couldn’t wish her.

Of the Strings that Bind Us: Daughters

September 25th was National Daughter’s Day in the US, and this time, it was a bittersweet celebration for me on both ends – as a mom (my daughter is away at college now and us newly minted bird launchers – just dropped her off this past weekend, so it is still too new for me) and as a daughter (the first year without my mom)

So here I am celebrating my daughter, my sweetheart – who has a piece of my heart with her where she is – and wishing her all that she can want and be (and I know she can be so much more than she thinks) on daughter’s days and every day!

And while my heart swells with pride for my daughter as she embarks on her new journey at college, it aches with longing for my mom. I find myself straddling these two worlds: celebrating the new while grieving the old.

And Mothers

From celebrating my daughter to celebrating my mom. On September 26th, we performed the traditional one-year rituals to honor my mother, following the Tamil calendar. Though her official passing date is October 7th, this early date in our tradition marks the beginning of her journey toward peace.

October 3rd this year marks the start of my favorite Indian celebration (and I inherited this love from my mom) – the Navratri golu tradition of keeping dolls. I will be sharing pictures here later this week, though I am certainly scaling it down this year as my heart is yo-yoing between emotions still.

As I honor my mother and celebrate my daughter, I am reminded of the delicate balance between love, loss, and growth. Through it all, I hold onto the memories that shape us, and the hope that both my mother and daughter carry pieces of my heart with them.

The Strings that Bind

Love’s Eternal Connection
To my mom, to dear amma
To my definition of home
Though you are gone
Each dusk and every dawn
Brings me hope
& love, to help me cope!
You might be gone but love’s unyielding string stays,
Tethering our hearts across time and space.
~ vidya tiru @ ladyinreadwrites

For dVerse’s Quadrille Monday (string)

The festival of Navratri is definitely one of the many strings that bind me to family, especially to my mom.

Related Reads About Strings and Such

• Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things: A sweet YA Mansfield Park retelling
• Heartfelt Thoughts On Mothers & Daughters & Sons and More
• World on a String: A heartwarming, stunning picture book! Check out my thoughts here.
  

And Now, the End of this Post

Dear reader, let us all take a moment to celebrate the special people in our lives, both those who are still with us and those we’ve lost. Reach out, say the words you want to say, and hold your loved ones close—whether near or far. For though life is fleeting, love is enduring. 💛