56 Comments

Touching poem. It's a wonderful tribute to your mother and grandmother.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you!

Expand full comment

I love the simplicity of your artwork, which proves once again that less is often more. Just great stuff!

Expand full comment
author

Thanks! It takes a lot of restraint. I'm always tempted to add one more thing. 🤣

Expand full comment

Life is poetry lived.

Expand full comment
author

Yes!

Expand full comment

I love this.

And if I'm honest, I'm envious of the connection.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you! I had a difficult relationship with my parents when they were alive, in part because my mom lived with schizoaffective disorder and my father manipulated her and her attitudes towards us kids once we were adults. Writing poems like this helps me heal some of that and to see my mom in some different lights.

Expand full comment

Such a beautiful poem Jason, and to hear this about healing a little, of past wounds. As I read, I was reminded of the numerous times we watched The Sound of Music when we were young and how we’d ‘perform’ it as children. My grandad used to record us on a little hand held tape recorded and when I got married (the first time round) he played a recording of me singing ‘I Have Confidence’ as part of his speech at the reception. Thank you for this memory 🤍

Expand full comment
author

That's a tremendous story! I love that memory.

Expand full comment

It had slipped away from me but now I’m lost in memories of him 🥲

Expand full comment
Dec 4, 2023·edited Dec 4, 2023Liked by Jason McBride

that was so lovely and it choked me up- my mother was very dear to me as well. She loved all things musical and was very often tickled pink. She was born in 1929 and raised in New Jersey.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you! I'm honored that this poem touched you and led you to remember some of the wonderful things your mother brought to your life.

Expand full comment

Oh Jason what a beautiful expression of your love - the love you have for your children and the love you had for your Mother - and also how she loved you!

One would think Losing my Dad at a young age would mean fewer memories, but one would be wrong! I have so many memories of him even now that I’m older than he ever was.

I will share this with My hubby. His mother turned 95 on the 30th of November and she was here visiting from Hawaii. We see her spark so clearly, even though we see the decline.

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story which expressed a love between a young man and his mother.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you for reading and sharing my work!

Expand full comment

🙏🏼

Expand full comment

I loved the poem to your mum, I felt like I was getting to know her through your words ☺️

Expand full comment
author

Thank you!

Expand full comment

Your Mom would be proud of you and the grandchildren!

Expand full comment
author

Thanks! I think her grandchildren are pretty terrific 😀

Expand full comment

Beautiful and heartfelt poem, Jason! The Sound of Music is also my all-time favorite. I grew up watching it a gazillion times(memorized all the songs and the dialogues in the movie!) I think one of the networks play it every year so I make it a tradition whenever it’s on TV.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks! It's such a wonderful movie! Definitely worth rewatching regularly!

Expand full comment
Dec 4, 2023·edited Dec 4, 2023Liked by Jason McBride

Sweet. I love mothers and grandmothers who rebel so beautifully against stupid edicts issued by wrongheaded pastors in their pulpits.

Expand full comment
author

It's funny, but until I was writing this I had never fully appreciated how much of a heritage of rebelliousness I'm blessed to have. My mom grew up a Baptist in southeast Idaho, a pretty tough thing to be in Mormon country. My mom would meet my dad convert to Mormonism in college, making my grandma wonder how she raised such a rebel. 🤣

The pastor objected to the movie because of all the dancing and how it made heroes of the Catholics.

Expand full comment

What a lovely poem, Jason.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks!

Expand full comment
Dec 4, 2023Liked by Jason McBride

Lovely.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you!

Expand full comment

What a great message for your mother and a great story. Thanks for sharing.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks!

Expand full comment

You had a lovely mother. And a rebelious grandmother. I love it. Don't do what the pastor tells you ... especially when it comes to art.

Expand full comment
author

People who seek to control other people often seem drawn to positions of religious power.

Expand full comment

Any kind of governing entity actually, but religions is really special because God is behind the power person. Mitt Romney tells a story of when he was in the Mission House getting ready for his mission, he had the temerity to say that all people were equal. The Apostle who was teaching his group said, "Do you think YOU are equal to Joseph Smith or Jesus Christ?" Mitt was put in his proper place. And if a priesthood holder can be made to feel like a piece of merde, imagine how the women are treated. It's a form of slavery.

Expand full comment
author

I agree with you, there are so many stories of abuses big and small. It's enough to make one doubt that god has anything to do with the people preaching in god's name.

Expand full comment

Wonderful tribute to your mom and grandmother. My mom loved The Sound of Music too, and passed that love on to me. I used to put the movie on whenever the kids were on vacation and we were doing a project together.

Expand full comment
author

To quote my grandmother, "They just don't make 'em like that anymore."

Expand full comment

That is so sweet, loving, kind.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you.

Expand full comment